Emeralds: Dimming a Star's Light
by Flames of the Sun
Summary: We knew she was willing to give up everything for Tamaran. We had seen what she had sacraficed already for them: her health, her future, her dignity... and now, we wait with baited breath to see if they would demand her sanity next. RobStar.
1. Prolouge ::Fortold::

AN: SO IT BEGINS! This is the prolog to my very first really long story. As you can see in my profile this story is one of four all under the name "Jewled Eyes."

If you haven't read "A Life for a Life," then I suggest that you do because there will be references to that in the next chapter. This chapter takes place in the past even before starfire is born and on Tamaran.

so... Enjoy! (ps. no I don't own the teen titans, but they aren't in this chapter so nya!)_

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Jeweled Eyes: Emeralds

Prolog :Foretold:

Tr'eena. Every aspiring and ambitious reader knew this name, 'reader' being the formal name to those gifted with foresight. Tr'eena, to those few, was more than a name. For them, Tr'eena was a name synonymous with hope.

To a group, almost a separate race, of people persecuted, feared, and isolated; to see one of them at the peak of Tamaranian politics was uplifting. Because of this one name, because if Tr'eena, the readers were not so heavily persecuted for their "sight." They were safe in society for once. They could live in peace for once.

Old in age and wise in mind, Tr'eena shuffled about her small cottage-like house. Slowly, patiently, she set her small kettle onto the stove and started to boil water. Some of it would go toward her evening tea, while the rest would go into her heating pad for the night. The present Grand Ruler, Emperor Myand'r, had long ago offered her a room in the palace, but she refused, preferring the intimate, little house. There she lived out her days, peacefully, as the Emperor's personal reader.

She knew that one complaint would be enough for the Emperor to give her a new room, or even a new house, but she loved her little house. She found that the small confines kept her in touch with the mystic forces that told her what she needed to know. She even kept with her an old pad of paper and a writing pen at all times, should the forces catch her unawares.

As she waited for her water to boil, Tr'eena took her pen and pad to her porch so that she could perform her nightly survey of the stars. The Emperor would want to know the secrets they held the next morning.

With patient eyes, Tr'eena watched the heavens above. The found that when she waited for her messages to come, they did so willingly. She could not force it.

"The Spear of Grouth points east tonight," she mumbled in her low, gravely voice. A small grin spread across her wrinkled face. "How the Queen will be pleased," she mused. The Spear of Grouth represented the bearing of strong children, strong in will and mind and soul and spirit. Usually the stars that formed this constellation were skewed, breaking the spear at tits tip. This was an occurrence that upset Tr'eena, for she felt that no matter the times, the world was always in need of the strong.

Having the spear in tact and pointing east meant that the child would be born to great power and she had heard that the Queen was with child.

Tr'eena slowly and carefully wrote this down in her native script, an ancient form of Tamaranian. She had just finished recording a rough estimate of the crop turnouts when a sudden sense of foreboding and fear washed over her. The night sky, which had formerly seemed so peaceful and welcoming, now stared down at her with hatred, sorrow, and hostility. The sky was on fire. It was twisting and writhing, not with flames, but with pain. But she hardly saw that. She could hardly see anything anymore. But she heard. She heard, in the voices of a thousand readers, all gripped at the same moment with the same prophecy.

_**Now rages, a war, between Heaven and Hell, **_

_**Which only a mortal can conquer, can quell.**_

_**Three beings shall come, all worlds to protect,**_

_**For if the war is lost, each world it affects.**_

_**The test shall be the final front of the war**_

_**And throughout the galaxy its result shall pour.**_

_**The advocate for Hell has since been chosen**_

_**And shall this side win all life shall be frozen.**_

_**But Heaven chooses not one life, but three,**_

_**And on the terms of Hell they agree.**_

_**The champions chosen shall each pay Hell's price**_

_**And go without Heaven's grace and advice.**_

_**One, two, three prices to pay.  
All has been agreed on this very day.**_

_**Each payment shall be acknowledged in the form of a mark**_

_**And when three marks are present the final battle may start.**_

_**And the final battle between Heaven and Hell,**_

_**Shall be fought in the place where the mortal first fell.**_

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the spirits released Tr'eena and she slumped back into her rocking chair. Her eyes fell to the pad in her lap and she noticed that she had recorded the prophecy. She also noticed her trembling hands. Suddenly, Tr'eena heard quick steps coming closer. She looked up, clutching the pad to her chest and shielding it from view. This was unnecessary since only the eldest even remembered the ancient form of the language.

"You there, Witch!" a small palace boy shouted, "Have you heard the news?" Tr'eena, too upset to comment on the rude name, just shook her head numbly. The boy smiled happily. "The queen has found that she will birth twins! Joyous news!"

Slowly, the events clicked in Tr'eena's mind. The Queen already had an older daughter and two more made three. She wanted to jump up and warn the planet of the ensuing struggle, but some force kept the words from coming out.

So instead she forced a wise smile and told the boy something about reading the Queen's palm. The boy seemed satisfied with this answer and turned to run back inside the castle. Inside her own hut, the kettle started to whistle, startling Tr'eena.

Slowly, she stood and shuffled back into the hut. She moved the kettle off of the stove, but did nothing with it. She pulled out some incense and a match. With reverence she lit the incense and placed them around her small shrine to X'hal. She kneeled down and instantly fell deep in prayer.

It was a long time before Tr'eena struggled to her feet and filled her heating pad with hot water. She did not have the appetite for tea. She carefully tore out the page with the prophecy and hid it in one of her drawers. She then slipped wearily into her bed and tried in vain to calm her swirling mind. Finally, she fell asleep, dreaming of bejeweled eyes.

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please review! and check out the profile for the summary for the other stories(but they could change at any time so...) ' next chapter should be up soon and I promise, it's like 5000 words so it's a lot longer.

BYE!


	2. Chapter 1 ::Not a Kiss::

AN: Hi peeps. Sorry it took so long for this. My computer has been giving me grief for three weeks. I don't think there'll be such a long period between updates again.

Disclaimer: The Teen Titans do not belong to me, however, roses are in fact, red.

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Chapter 1 :Not a Kiss:

Starfire shook her head hard twice. The first was to shake the sweat from her forehead as it was starting to get into her eyes. The second was to convince her mind that focusing now on her battle with Robin would be a very nice favor to her and her pride.

"Come on, Starfire. I know you're better than this!" Robin grunted harshly as he assailed her repeatedly with his fists and feet. Starfire ducked and dodged, slipping just out of his range to give herself some breathing room.

Starfire sucked in air through her nose. Normally, she wouldn't be this out of breath this early in the fight. Granted, she and Robin had been sparring for a while, but she usually had stamina enough to last this long without being out of breath.

Robin advanced with a short, quick, combination of punches and kicks. He smiled inwardly as Starfire blocked them all excellently and returned with a flying kick of her own. He blocked her kick and dropped to sweep a leg under her, fully expecting her to avoid him in some way.

He did not, however, expect Beastboy to dash into the gym followed by Cyborg, both shouting at the tops of their lungs.

Apparently, Starfire did not expect this either as she looked up, startled, at the completely wrong second. Instantly, she was in the air, her head and feel having switched positions. Having only a split second to act, Starfire twisted her body hard and landed on her feet in a squat. The landing would have been perfect, had she not lost her balance, falling on her butt with a grunt.

Starfire quickly let go of her hopes of maintaining her dignity, while at the same time, setting some new goals, most of which involving Beastboy and Cyborg's immediate futures.

"Beastboy, you better come back here! Face me like a man, you little twerp!"

"Ahhh! Get away, Cy! It was for your own good!"

Robin regarded the irritated Tamaranian as she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples gently. "You could have beaten me," he said with a light frown as he extended his hand toward her.

Starfire sighed inwardly as she grasped his hand and let him help her up. "Cyborg and Beastboy distracted me," she replied levelly. She knew that the excuse was not one at all, but she also knew that Robin was capable of hounding her on this for hours on end.

Robin rolled his eyes, though he knew that she couldn't see it through his mask. "If you were focusing, they wouldn't have distracted you," he shot back. His tone held a stern edge, though Starfire noticed that he was still holding her hand. She groaned softly and massaged her temples again.

"I need a shower," she mumbled.

"As does Robin," came a soft, even voice from behind them. The pair turned to find Raven looking bored as ever. Noticing the sudden silence, Starfire looked up toward the ceiling on instinct. Sure enough, Beastboy and Cyborg were both suspended there in twin bubbles of (soundproof) black magic.

"You know, you're really demeaning sometimes," Robin replied airily. Raven arched an eyebrow.

"Is that so? Well, I suppose it takes all kinds. You'll heal in time," she replied, with a smirk. Done with her amusement at the Boy Wonder's expense, she shifted her attention to the reason she had bothered to venture into the gym.

Turning to face Starfire, Raven suddenly felt her aura spike and dim and level out again in quick succession. Raven jumped in surprise at the sudden spiritual activity, noticing that Starfire winced at the same moment.

"Is something wrong, Raven?" Starfire asked, noticing her startled movement. Raven stared into her eyes intensely, not saying anything. She could sense the girl's mood clearly, but it was almost as if there were two conscious Starfire's inside of one. One presence was confused and worried, but the other was…

'_Shadow?'_ Raven thought, bewildered. Somehow, that was the only word for the presence. Dark, shapeless, in place, yet out of place.

Starfire blinked, becoming agitated by Raven's continuous staring. "Rav—"

"Are you alright?" Raven asked suspiciously. Starfire looked back, bewildered.

"I am fine. Why?" she asked.

"Are you sure?" Raven pressed.

"Yes. I mean, I have somewhat of a headache, but it is nothing damaging," Starfire replied. Raven stared at her a moment longer and felt the shadow dissolve slowly, until she could not feel it at all. Darkly, Raven wondered if the loss was a positive thing, before letting it drop.

"The reason I came, it looks like Galifore was trying to call, but no one was in the room to answer," Raven said. "You might want to call him back."

Ever since Starfire had given the crown to Galifore, he had taken to calling her on the Titan mainframe instead of the private on that only she had access to. He had said that he wanted to get to know the friends that the princess spoke to highly of, all the while shooting significant glances at Robin.

Starfire smiled brightly, if not a bit puzzled. "Thank you, Raven. I will call him back, then," she said. Raven nodded.

"I'll be in my room if you need me, but," she paused to wave her hand absently at the ceiling. Cyborg and Beastboy both came plummeting from the ceiling, screaming shrilly, before hitting the floor with a dull thud. "You won't really need me," she concluded as she disappeared through the sliding double doors.

A confused silence reigned in Raven's wake, punctuated only by Cyborg and Beastboy's groans as they hauled themselves off of the floor. Starfire watched in a twisted sense of amusement, deciding that Raven had extracted enough revenge for her. They promptly left the gym, much quieter than they had entered.

Robin lookedat Starfire. "What was that about?" he asked, referring to Raven's strange behavior. Starfire shrugged her shoulders.

"I am not very sure, but Raven did not seem overly worried," she replied. "I will be taking a shower, seeing as my fearless leader is quite demanding during training," Starfire declared, glancing over her shoulder at Robin as she started toward the small set of showers just for Raven and she.

Wanting the last word, Robin tightened his grip on her hand and spun her back to him. She ended up with her back pressed firmly against him with his arms secured around her waist. "Maybe I should come with you," he murmured.

Starfire smirked, envisioning the look of pure shock she would get if she actually said yes to him. That would serve to amuse her for a few days.

Thinking better of if, Starfire laughed and looked at him over her shoulder. "You speak as if I would actually become clean that way," she laughed. She turned to face him, without breaking his grip on her waist. "I am sorry, Boy of Wonder, but you are quite a distraction while one is showering," she stated matter-of-factly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Robin smirked, allowed himself a brief kiss, and released her. "Fine, fine, go do your shower thing," he said with fake exasperation. Starfire laughed and stepped away lightly, heading to the shower.

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Starfire sighed as she felt the steaming water run down her body. It certainly was a satisfactory jump start for her foggy mind.

She smiled as the familiar smell of her watermelon scented body wash filled the room, perfuming the air heavily. Letting her mind wander, Starfire placed a small amount of the wash onto her cloth and began to wash. And, of course, her mind wandered right back to the object of her affections.

It had been a happy, sad, and confusing two and a half months since they had both admitted to loving one another. Afterwards, Cyborg had told them, smugly, "I always knew it'd take a couple of buses and a gorilla to get you two together."

Rather, it had taken a near death experience and psychotic villain. Starfire shivered, remembering how helpless she had felt; how weak she had felt when confronted with pure agony. To make a long story **(SUNFLAMES: which is incidentally written in full detail under me profile…)** short, Slade struck, for once, repeating one of his old moves. He planned on infesting Robin's body with probes which would attack the pain receptors of his brain and cause agonizing pain which would cause too much stress for his system and eventually kill him. Unfortunately, his robots missed and hit Starfire.

For two excruciating hours, Starfire was forced to endure the agony meant for Robin while her friends tried to disable the probes. And, just as predicted, when the clock struck zero, she died. Starfire smiled absently, thinking of her reaction to this news. According to Cyborg, she did die, clinically. Her heart stopped and she stopped breathing, but something shocked her heart into starting up again.

Namely, Robin.

From what she could gather, she had weakly and desperately confessed her own love for the blushing boy in… red… and fallen into a half unconscious state. Robin, panicking, had kissed her desperately, and Starfire, being a girl (clinically dead or not), felt her heart flutter. Which was enough to make it beat.

Starfire was quite surprised to wake up and find Beastboy elated that he knew a real live zombie and Robin unable to keep his eyes off of her. Starfire laughed, knowing that her first kiss with her current boyfriend had been shared while she was mostly unconscious and under extreme physical pain. Needless to say, the new couple wasted no time in making up for the less than perfect first kiss.

They broke up shortly after that.

After getting over the initial shock of a near death experience the two had to admit that a personal relationship couldn't be the safest thing in their line of work. With crooks, thieves, and villains running rampant in the city, the last thing either wanted was to give all of them a weakness. So they ended it, much to the shock and confusion of their teammates.

They did, however, overlook one variable. You cannot cancel love. Even when the two had made the decision mutually and for the good of both, they couldn't simply stop caring that way, especially when they knew that the feeling was shared.

Needless to say, the next few weeks were awkward, to say the least. Robin avoided Starfire while Starfire avoided Robin. Neither could stand the smallest brush of the hand. All the while, Robin was pushing Starfire harder during training, thinking that if he couldn't always be the one to save her then she damn well would.

But then, after about two weeks, everything reversed. Not only did the awkwardness stop, but the pair could hardly stand to be in a room without the other. Light brushes happened so often that they could hardly be considered accidents and accompanied by the rare kiss on the cheek or forehead. After all, just because they weren't "together" didn't mean that they weren't friends. Best friends, in fact.

And then, one day, it was just over. They woke up in each other's arms (courtesy of a late running movie night); their love being the first sight of the day, and knew that it couldn't be done anymore. They couldn't go through life pretending not to feel. Not to love.

After that, it had been a world of surprises, for both. They tried to keep public displays of affection confined to inside the tower, but beyond that, Starfire discovered that Robin was not very shy. Of course, they both tried to be sensitive to the others, but in Robin's words, "If I want to kiss you, I'm gonna kiss you."

Starfire turned off the water and began to dry, thinking of this and that. She almost didn't notice that she was fully clothed in her usual outfit. Smiling to herself, she exited the showers, almost immediately catching sight of Robin, waiting for her against the opposite wall.

"You waited just for me? I am touched," she said, taking his hand. Robin grinned.

"Come on, I'm hungry and you need to call Galifore," he said.

Starfire nodded. "Yes, but I think I will eat first. I do not think Galifore would mind." Robin shrugged and kept walking.

"I've got a sub left over from yesterday. It's way more than I can eat. Do you want some?"

Starfire shot him a look. "I assume that you are not speaking of the submersible in the basement," she said. By now she was used to people saying things that seemed completely illogical. Her newfound motto was: If it sounds too incredible (or stupid) to be true, then there is a very good chance it isn't. Robin smiled.

"No, well it does get its name from that. Remember yesterday we got those long skinny sandwiches? They're called submarine sandwiches, but really people only call them subs."

Starfire shook her head with an amused smile. "Yesterday they were simply sandwiches. I have never known a language as full of idioms and double meaning words. Actually, I believe that there are quite a few triple meaning words too. I do not know how you come up with all of it."

"Hey, it wasn't me. How many languages do you know anyway?" Robin asked, curiously.

"Um," Starfire scrunched up her nose, counting. "I know six in all, I think. Two of them are from Earth." They had reached the kitchen by then and entered. The sound of explosions reached them and Robin looked over to see Beastboy jumping in a circle as Cyborg pouted on the couch. He smirked, thinking that it was about time the cybernetic teen tasted defeat.

"You know a human language other than English? What is it?" Robin asked with his head in the refrigerator. He pushed some things aside, looking for the long white carton that held his sandwich.

Starfire had been waiting for him to come out of the refrigerator before answering, but he did not look like he would be soon. "I do not know the name. There are maybe two or three channels on the television that speak it exclusively, but I never thought to find out the name," she said as she leaned against the counter.

Robin glanced at her as he open the freezer, annoyance welling up inside of him. He doubted that the sandwich was in there, but there was always the chance that someone had taken it out to get something behind it and the put it in the freezer by accident (the switch was usually made by late night snackers). "It sounds like Spanish that you're talking about. Por favor and gracias and things like that?" he asked, distractedly.

"Please and thanks. Yes, that is it. Spanish." She nodded. She could hardly do anything else if she did not want to start laughing. She watched in ever-growing amusement as he moved everything in the freezer around and still did not find the sandwich.

"How'd you learn Spanish?" he asked, hardly paying attention to what he was saying. Starfire hopped up to sit on the counter and rested her elbows on her knees with her chin in her hands.

"I am not completely sure, but I think it is because you know Spanish. You do know it, do you not?" she said, her eyes following his every move. Robin stopped his search to look at her.

"Yeah, I know it. I had to learn it to get my high school diploma and after that I just kept up with the classes. How did you know?"

Starfire shrugged. "Because I know it. You remember when I absorbed the language from you when we met? Well I think that because you spoke both languages fluently, I absorbed both. That may be why I had such problems communicating. I tended to want to use the Spanish style of grammar in English, hence the room of bathing instead of the bathroom."

Robin paused to consider this information, his attention already beginning to turn again. But suddenly his eyes snapped back to her. "Wait, you absorbed English from me? When did this happen?" Starfire looked back at him incredulously.

"When we met! Well, in hindsight, I guess it could not be called a meeting, but it does count for something. Tell me you have not forgotten," she said, anger threatening in her tone. Robin quickly shook his head.

"Of course I remember us meeting. You tried to smash everything, including me, then I unlocked your arms and you kissed me and pushed me on my butt," he said in a rush, eager to avoid her irritation. Starfire tilted her head slightly. Her anger having been replaced with confusion.

"I never kissed you, Robin, not when we first met," she said.

"Yeah, you did. Are you telling me that _you've_ forgotten how we met?" Robin replied with a smirk, moving closer to her. Starfire frowned slightly and tilted her head back in thought. Robin placed his hands on either side of her on the counter and waited.

Suddenly, Starfire let loose a peal of laughter. Robin, caught off guard, just smiled wider. "What's so funny?" he asked, leaning forward.

"Robin," she giggled, "That, um, _kiss _that we shared, did it feel anything like this?" she asked and then pressed her mouth firmly over his. Robin smiled and kissed her back. He seemed to overlook the fact that Starfire did not seem to be kissing him. After only a few moments of this, he pulled back, frowning.

"What's wrong?" he asked grumpily. Starfire laughed again.

"That was not a kiss."

"I'll say," Robin grumbled. Starfire grinned and pressed her forehead to his.

"That would have been me, if I did not already know your language. That is the way you absorb a language from an organism from another planet. That is how I learned English. I never kissed you," she chuckled. Robin looked at her with his mouth open in shock and then frowned.

"Well what does a kiss feel like?" he asked suspiciously. Starfire pulled away from him and swatted his shoulder playfully.

"I think you know what a kiss is like," she said, her eyes narrowed. Robin advanced into the space she left when she pulled back, trapping her between him and the counter. Starfire smirked, but leaned back further, turning her head away.

"Well, now that I know what a not-kiss feels like, I need to compare it to a real kiss. Now, I can't go getting that from Raven…"

"You would not dare!" Starfire exclaimed, her eyes sparkling in amusement. Robin shrugged and looked back at her innocently. Starfire smiled coyly back at him and draped her arms loosely around his neck.

"Well, when you put it that way…" She let the sentence trail into silence as she barely brushed his lips with her own. Robin rolled his eyes and mumbled something before surging forward and firmly kissing her. He hated that way she loved teasing him with stupid brushes like that. Starfire giggled at his impatience and tilted her head, allowing the kiss to deepen.

Robin kissed her hungrily. His arms moved from the counter to Starfire's lower back, his fingers gently caressing the skin exposed by her uniform. He kissed her harder as a throaty moan reached his ears and then switched their positions, so that he was leaning against the counter and she was leaning against him.

Starfire gasped as Robin moved away from her lips, along her jaw, and down her neck. Pleasure rippled through her body and burning skin followed where his touch had been. She felt a cloudy haze descend on her mind. At first, she believed it to be one that she was used to with Robin, but she quickly rejected this assumption. The confused, distracted feeling that had plagued her during their training session was back now and somehow worse. She felt short of breath and grabbed at Robin's arm. The combination of the haze and Robin's touch was making her dizzy and weak on her feet.

Robin's ego swelled as he felt Starfire's hand tighten around his arm. He smirked against her neck and kissed it softly, before he opened his mouth and exhaled slowly, letting his breath fan her neck. Starfire shivered, only serving to encourage him more.

By now, Starfire had discovered that something was wrong. She tried to tell Robin, but all that she could manage was a soft whimper. She was already disoriented, but every kiss he laid on her skin only served to push her farther away from reality. She could scarcely move, torn between positively needing his kiss and caress, and wanting to push him away and find out what was wrong with her. Her eyes were half-lidded and somehow, she could not find the will to open them fully. Robin was everywhere. Robin was everything. She had to have him. She had to…

'_No!'_

Starfire stumbled back from Robin's embrace, her hands clamped over her mouth, trying desperately to keep the voice that was not hers from saying anything aloud. Her eyes were round with disbelief and she did not notice that she was still backing up until her back hit the opposite counter. Robin was starring at her anxiously as he stepped forward slowly.

"Starfire, what's wrong? You've been acting weird for days now. What is going on?" he exclaimed, loud enough to draw the attention of Beastboy and Cyborg. Both of the boys stood up, peering over the back of the couch and into the kitchen.

Starfire hardly heard him through her own panic. She could not understand why she was breathing so rapidly, yet she did not seem to be receiving any oxygen. Irrational tears sprang into her eyes and spilled down her cheeks as her eyes darted to Robin, then Beastboy, then Cyborg, and back to Robin. She noticed her hands trembling just before she noticed that there was barely any part of her that was not shaking uncontrollably.

Robin's face paled as he watched one of the strongest women he knew break down right before his eyes. He had no idea what had caused her sudden panic attack, but a dull guilt gnawed at the pit of his stomach. Gently, but firmly, he grabbed her arm, pulling her toward him. "Tell me what's going on. I can help if you tell me. We can help if you tell me," he said softly. He had no idea if he could really help her, but at this point he was willing to say anything to get her calm again. The terrified look in her eyes only served to alarm him more, especially when the terror did not subside, but increased, when her eyes met his. He lifted a gloved hand and gently stroked her cheek, hoping to still her frantic emotions.

Starfire's eyes went wide as she felt him touch her cheek. She immediately started to thrash violently. Robin clutched her arms tighter, not knowing what she would do if he let her free. He hoped that he would not leave a bruise. "Stop! Stop it!" she screamed, never pausing in her desperate attempts to struggle away. "Let me go! Do not touch me!"

Robin looked over his shoulder to see Cyborg and Beastboy already sprinting toward them. "Cyborg, come and help me hold her. Beastboy, go and get Raven, she might know what's going on," he shouted over Starfire. Beastboy sprinted out of the room without a word and Cyborg grabbed Starfire's wrists and pulled them behind her back. Robin stepped back, confident that Cyborg could hold her for the moment. His eyes scanned the kitchen for the cause of her outburst, or for a solution to the problem.

"Please, do not touch me!" Starfire cried again, the tears flowing freely now. "That is what he wants! Can you not see? That is only what he wants! Cyborg!"

Cyborg shifted so that he held her hands in from of her with his arms holding her to his chest. He hoped that the position would both offer her comfort and keep her from hurting herself trying to get away from him. The latter worked, but the new position only seemed to threaten her more. He could hear her whimpering to herself, over and over, "This is what he wants, this is what he wants."

"Come on, Star. Snap out of it. Nobody wants anything from you! No one is here except for Robin and me. You're fine," he said to her. He kept his tone low and soothing. The tactic did not seem to work.

Starfire trembled uncontrollably now, not knowing what was about to happen. Suddenly, a silky voice penetrated her thoughts, whispering to her where no other voice should be able to speak.

"Such a big, strong man. I bet you feel the same pleasure from his touch that you do from that one over there. Maybe we should share. I promise, you will feel it too."

Starfire's eyes went wide and she let a sudden burst of emerald flames erupt from her hands. Cyborg shouted in surprise and his hands loosened for about three seconds. Starfire did not need anymore time. Desperately, she sprinted forward, trying to find a way out, any way out.

Suddenly, to her right, she caught sight of the main doors sliding open to reveal Raven and Beastboy, both heading toward her. Raven's glance fell on Starfire and her hands were immediately enveloped in pure white smoke.

"Let. Her. Go," Raven growled, staring straight into Starfire's eyes. The silken presence seemed to smirk.

"_Tell your friend it is too late,_" he gloated. Starfire stood completely still and looked back at Raven, her eyes pleading.

"Help me," she begged, her voice barely a whisper.

And then, the world exploded.


	3. Chapter 2 ::Short Notice Exorcism::

HI. I'm back. Everyone who reviewed gets the brownie of their choice! Their chocolicious!

Disclaimer: I DISCLAIM the Teen Titans...

Chapter 2 :Irony's a Bitch:

The world was on fire. It was one huge bomb that just kept exploding, over and over and over with no relief in sight. She could not stand anymore. Her knees buckled and she hit the floor, hardly knowing it. It was just too much.

"Starfire!"

Raven's eyes snapped from Starfire's agonized form to Robin who was sprinting toward her. Her eyes wide, Raven quickly mumbled her mantra and opened a small portal under her. She knew it was almost a waste to teleport herself the few feet, but it was essential that she reach Starfire before Robin did.

Raven dropped into the portal and appeared again, an instant later, crouching in front of Starfire. Again reciting the words, she threw up a black barrier around both she and Starfire. She watched as Robin skidded to a halt and winced when he hit the wall with his fist, creating a delicate pattern of thin, white cracks. She assumed that he was acting on adrenaline and ignored the show of violence.

"Raven, what the hell are you doing?" Robin shouted, frustration and worry flowing out through his words. Through the wall, he could see her turn away from him and stare at Starfire critically.

"There isn't time. All of you be quiet." Her voice seemed to come from the wall instead of her, inside. Robin bit his tongue to silence all of the things he wanted to say back, telling himself that Raven knew how to help Starfire better than he did. Cyborg laid a hand on his shoulder, silently lending him strength. Beastboy had yet to move, watching the display with a blank expression.

Raven still did not dissipate the barrier. She turned her attention to Starfire, who was panting with a whimper now and then.

Something exploded. Again. A rush of water that tore across her ears followed each explosion and she was sure that they were bleeding. It took her a long minute to realize that the explosions were her own heartbeat.

"Starfire."

Her name, though spoken so softly, threatened to implode her head if she had to endure it much longer. As irrational as it was, everything was one volume, painful. But she recognized the voice, though magnified. She recognized the slightly scratchy sound of a voice not very used. It was Raven.

"Raven," she panted, "I need your help. Please." Her voice cracked and she pressed her hands harder to her ears. Suddenly, the skin on the center of her forehead began to burn harshly. She did not move or flinch, knowing that she was feeling the touch of another on her oversensitive skin. Tenderly, her own hand curled around Raven's wrist, feeding off of the power she offered. She knew what she had to do to make her body hers again. Her mind receded halfway into her subconscious.

Starfire opened her eyes, ignoring the near-blinding light she encountered. Her eyes locked onto Raven's and Raven looked back at her. Both knew exactly what was happening, the only two who did. Raven's eyes were questioning, but determined. 'Are you ready?' they asked. Starfire nodded and let her eyes slide closed. With some difficulty, she opened her mind to the force asking entrance. Everything went black, and the pain was gone.

Beastboy watched worriedly as the wall Raven had put up melted into nothing. Raven and Starfire were completely still, Raven with two fingers on the center of Starfire's forehead and Starfire with her hand around Raven's wrist. Both of their eyes were glowing with an eerie white light, though Starfire's was tinged with green while Raven's was tinged with blue. He approached the pair cautiously and reached for Raven's hair. He jerked his hand back though when he felt something like a bad static shock hit his finger.

Looking over his shoulder, Beastboy took in his two remaining conscious friends. "I guess we have to wait now, huh?" he asked, trying to sound calm and in-control. The two nodded dumbly, silence holding their voices.

* * *

Raven was completely still as she took in her surroundings. Knowing Starfire, she had always thought that her mind would be some field of flowers, or a forest clearing, or something utterly _fluffy_. Of course, she had overlooked the obvious.

She was in the palace, Starfire's home on Tamaran. The floor was made of large slabs of sapphire and green marble, swirled and mixed intricately, shining and freshly polished. The walls were a smooth, sanded, green stone. Everything was perfectly clean and in its own spot. The room radiated Starfire and her aura.

But it did not have a door.

Raven did not move. She stared hard at the room she was in, thinking hard about her visit to Tamaran. She had taken care to remember every aspect of the otherworldly visit, knowing that she probably would not get the chance again anytime soon. She could remember every detail, as if recorded in a picture, and the two pictures she compared did not match up.

Concentrating, Raven waved her hand, as if pointing out the flaws to someone else. Slowly, but with gaining speed, each of the things her eyes landed on changed, until she was left in a room totally different than the one she began with.

The floor, which was formerly so beautifully maintained, was cracked and scuffed and dulled beyond the ability to recognize it as marble. Some of the walls were knocked down completely, while the others bore deep fractures and craters. Tables and chairs were strewn everywhere, along with bits of scrap wood and a cotton-like material.

Raven was standing in a battlefield. The fact did not seem to influence her and she moved toward the largest hole in the wall, incidentally, the one closest to the door. She walked quickly and though her steps were light, they echoed in the broken, empty room.

"Starfire?" She took a chance and called out to her friend. This being her mind, Starfire would have gotten there a good five minutes before her, giving her time to have found the intruder in her mind and attack.

A shadow to her right caught Raven's attention and she spun, holding her hand in front of her, incased in black. "Who's there?" she asked clearly, keeping any emotions off of her face. She stared hard at the shadow cast by a large column, one of the few still in tact. She could see the eyes staring back at her. Deep, crystal blue eyes.

"You saw through the mask." A movement followed the statement. Slowly, a man stepped from the shadows, though Raven was not sure whether it could be described at that. Long, blue hair flowed from his head while a pair of triangular ears sprouted from the top of his scalp. A furry, blue tail protruded from his backside and hung down, a few inches of it heaping elegantly on the ground. The rest of his features left him looking like a tall, tanned, human male.

Raven stared at him silently, before nodding. "I did. Are you the one who has trespassed here?" The man smiled at her.

"That, I could ask you, but I will not. You are an ally, like me." He seemed completely sure of himself and her silence did not seem to affect him in the least. Raven wondered if this could be one of Starfire's emotions, maybe calm or serenity. It was unlikely. To have spilt emotions the way Raven did was something that was both hard to maintain and hard to initiate. People's emotions tended to want to mold together to be one identity and to keep them separate took a thorough knowledge of many spells and their theories. It was possible that Starfire could have done it, but Raven was sure she would have sensed such an amount of power in use.

"Where's Starfire?" Raven asked, lowering her hand. Whatever she was facing was a part of Starfire's mind, which meant that it knew where the conscious Starfire was. She had to find Starfire, hopefully, before Starfire found her intruder.

Her guide grinned, turned without a word, and began walking. Raven took this as a sign that he was going to lead her to Starfire. For a few seconds the walk was uneventful, until her guide began to change.

The ears on top of his head crawled down to normal placement and reshaped themselves. His tail faded and disappeared completely and he shrunk in stature to her height. His tanned skin paled to almost a gray color and his hair rose to about chin length. Subtlety, his features morphed from male to female and his clothes reshaped around him.

Raven stared in shock as she watched herself walk away. She stopped walking in her surprise. Her new twin turned and tapped her foot impatiently, her arms crossed in annoyance.

"What?" he(she?) asked, irritation evident in her voice. In his transformation, he seemed to have taken on her persona as well as her looks. Raven promptly closed her mouth and shook her head, though her eyes were still wide. She wanted to ask a question, but she did not have time. She began walking again and her clone turned and led the way.

The pair was walking for a good five minutes and in that time Raven had time to wonder if her cape really made her shoulders look so wide, while her mirror image took the time to become Robin, Galifore, a Tamaranian looking male, Beastboy, and Cyborg, and start all over again. He was striding along in Robin's form when the sounds of explosions began echoing along to them. Raven's senses sharpened and she took to the air, flying out in front of the incredible changing guy.

Raven turned the corner and was suddenly confronted with a fierce battle. The green energy blasts that Raven associated with Starfire were flying toward one end of the room, with Starfire flying around the other end.

Raven had seen Starfire furious before. It had not happen very many times, but once, when a guy at the supermarket grabbed her backside, the Titans got a taste of Starfire's rage. Strangely, this rage had never come out in battle. When Robin turned on them, when Slade held their lives in his hand, even when her sister and she fought, they had never seen this rage. But the moment someone violated her, she snapped. The guy was thrown clear to the other side of the store and Starfire was speaking five different languages for about an hour.

There, Raven watched Starfire become furious. Her eyes glowed a fierce green and tinged white and she shouted incomprehensibly in a language that Raven suspected was made up. Raven shook her head, hardly keeping the smile off of her face. After seeing Starfire crippled with pain, it was satisfying to see her fighting like she was the only one who could save herself.

Raven flew in beside her, pulling power into her hands. She watched in awe as Robin became the Tamaranian male and flew up beside them both.

"Starfire, I see you've found the intruder," she commented though her eyes lingered on the flying male beside her. Starfire's eyes closed briefly as she regained enough calm to speak understandable English.

"Yes, I believe he is almost ready to leave," she growled. She gave the other Tamaranian a meaningful look and he flew down, into the smoke. A few seconds later, he emerged, holding an unhealthily thin man by his collar. The man was humanoid, with bloodshot eyes and thin, pasty skin. He wrung his thin, bony hands nervously and his eyes darted to all corners of the room. Starfire flew forward, glaring down menacingly at the pasty man. He seemed to shrink under her fuming gaze.

"Ah, your…" he paused to swallow nosily. "Loveliness," he panted. "How long has it been? Are you going to give me a hug, hmm?" He had a high, whining voice that immediately made Raven want to back up. Starfire snarled.

"I see you are much more complimenting now that you have no power. You should have known better, seeing as I was taught by the best." She floated all around him, surveying him from every angle, while the morpher alternated between the Tamaranian, Raven, and the dog-man. Raven supposed that these were the only forms he had that flew.

"I come with a message, your wrathfulness," he whimpered. Starfire glowered down at him.

"Which would be?"

"Your great and powerful birth giver and sustainer requests a meeting," he said in a rush. Starfire's eyes blazed with emerald fire and she lunged at him. Luckily, the morpher backed up a few feet clearing its throat. Raven did the same, touching Starfire's arm. This seemed to remind her of Raven's presence.

"The great and powerful— such complete— _Ella es como gran y poderosa como la suciedad que mancha el palacio que ella destruyó!_" Starfire hissed. Raven blinked, wondering when Starfire learned Spanish. She pushed the thought away, just thankful that she was calm enough to keep her sentences in one language.

"Her powerfulness realizes that you are busy with your," he sent his shifty gaze toward Raven before his eyes darted back to Starfire, "_friends_ and would be happy to come to you in your home."

Starfire's eyes narrowed dangerously and she grabbed him away from the morpher. "Get out, now," she growled and dropped him. He fell a few feet before blinking out of view. Raven felt his presence vanish with him and breathed a sigh of relief. She shot Starfire a sideways glance.

"Didn't look like you needed me that much, huh?" she asked. Starfire, who had been massaging her temples in irritation, looked over at her in surprise.

"No no, Raven. I do not think I could have come here without your help," she said, gesturing to the palace. "I usually come here only in my dreams. I have never come here without going to sleep first. It is quite a strange feeling." Raven nodded.

"It can be. Can you answer a question, though?" Starfire looked at her warily.

"Maybe," she answered carefully. Raven gestured at the fake Robin who was watching them both with an almost hidden smile.

"What is that?"

Starfire studied him carefully. She was never really sure how or when that had come to her mind, but she did know that it only took the shape of a few select people. It had not been there her whole life, but well before she came to the titans. It was very protective of her though. Whenever she found herself in her mind when she slept she would find him and tell him about her days, her fears, her hopes. It would always tell her to stay there, with him, away from all of the negativity.

"That is my guardian. It takes the form of those who would protect me," she said. Raven seemed to accept that answer. They watched him become a few different people before Starfire cleared her throat. "We need to leave. The boys will be worried for us." She felt a twinge of guilt, but immediately pushed it away. She knew that she would really feel it later, but she had no time now. She had too many things to do and too little time to do it in. A thousand plans and tactics were already playing themselves out in her head. Risks, probabilities, all of them presented themselves and moved to the back of her mind. She was analyzing the best way to get what she wanted. It was almost too easy to do it. That was what she hated.

Almost two years she had not had to use that part of her mind, but the moment she had to it was back and working like she had never stopped. The moment it became necessary, she became who she was before the Titans. She had secretly praised herself for shedding the mindset of a warrior princess and acquiring one of a decent individual, one whose manipulative skills were lacking because they hardly ever used them. She had always wanted to be someone like that. She had never wanted to be the person she was.

When she arrived on Earth, she saw her chance. It was her chance to be someone else. The people there had never known her, and what was more, never asked about her past. On Earth, she could be anything. She could be anyone. She did not have to be what she was.

She thought she had changed.

"Yeah," Raven answered. She ignored the gentle nudge she felt in the back of her mind, meaning that Starfire wanted her out, whether she was aware of it or not. Starfire did not meet her eyes, but instead stared at the ground, as if deep in thought. "I'll make a way for you too," she added before her eyes slid closed. She lifted her arms to her sides and then out in front of her. Her finger twitched once before a thin, white-blue disk appeared before her.

Raven looked up at Starfire once more, only to see soft disappointment replace the normal cheerful glow. She let her eyes linger on her friend as her fingers barely grazed the disk and transported her through the portal into reality.

If she had stayed for only a minute longer, she would have seen Starfire's guardian morph once more, into a new form, one it had not assumed in years. Starfire watched with mixed feelings as a younger, thinner, battle-scared, and ruthless form of herself watched her with contempt and suspicion.

* * *

Their eyes went out. Cyborg was not sure whether he liked that result or not, but it was the most excitement the three boys had seen in the last five minutes. They all had been sitting, ever so silently, since the wall Raven had put up went down. No one moved and no one spoke, although some fly somewhere in the room did not seem to have picked up the somber mood. The stupid thing was just buzzing away, so happy to be alive. How could it not see the two people sitting right in the middle of the room who had ceased any and all movement for an entire five minutes? They did not even seem to breath they were so still. And that damn fly just kept buzzing.

Robin flinched as the stupid thing flew into his left temple. It flew into the same spot again.

And again.

And again.

With a quiet grunt, Robin tried to grab the idiot insect but it zoomed away, swerving drunkenly. He tried to follow it with his eyes, watching for if it came back, but he lost in the shadows of the couch. He settled back into his spot grudgingly. His eyes went back to monitoring his two teammates for any sign of movement, though this activity had been in vain for the last few minutes since he started. His nerves were tight and he had no idea how much longer he could take— THAT GOD-DAMN FLY AGAIN!

Again, it hit the exact same spot. Counting to ten, Robin hoped that the brain-dead fly would just buzz away like any other crushable being, but again, it seemed to want to force its way into his brain. Again. And another time for good measure.

Buuzzzz—Ptt.

Buuzzzz—Ptt.

Robin breathed deeply, determined not to let this insignificant bug push him over the edge(PTT!). He was the leader of the Teen Titans(PTT!). His team depended on him to be collected at all times(PTTPTT!), not just when times where rough(PTT!). He would not be broken by some idiotic fl—

SLAP!

Robin clutched the side of his face, more in surprise than pain. Beastboy stood over him with his head bowed in irritation, his hand poised for another attack on the offensive creature. Robin jumped up and tried to hit him back but he ducked, oblivious, but looking for the fly.

"What on Earth did you hit me for?" Robin snarled. Beastboy, who remained unaware to his anger, kept looking for the fly.

"Stupid fly was driving me crazy!" he exclaimed. A vein pounded on Robin's forehead, but he tried to contain his anger.

"Did you at least get it?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Buuzzzz—Ptt.

"…" Robin stood completely silent, desperately hoping that something, anything would happen to relieve the tension in his muscles before they twitched and ended up with his hands around Beastboy's neck. His prayers seemed to be answer, though not in his ideal way.

The lights that had replaced the two female Titans' eyes snapped off and were replaced by the delicate skin of their eyelids.

"Hey, they stopped glowing!" Cyborg exclaimed, coming closer to the pair. Robin's head snapped up, just as he heard Starfire gasp. He watched as her eyes flew open and she lost her balance, falling back on her backside, not for the first time that day. Raven smirked, despite herself.

"Sorry. It can be a little disorientating the first time," she said, offering Starfire her hand. Starfire took it, this time, having no time to think of her bruised dignity(or butt). Once she was on her feet, she looked up at each of her friends before her gaze came to rest on Robin. Of all of them, he would be the one she needed to concentrate on the most. The others would trust her with little to no persuasion. Robin, however, was exponentially more protective. After what he had seen, he was not going to let her go anywhere until he had an explanation, something she could not give him just yet. Sighing, she began her task.

"Listen to me, quickly, I must go to meet someone and you must let me go alone," she said, stepping forward and looking mostly at Robin. As she had expected, Robin frowned immediately and opened his mouth to protest. She did not expect for Cyborg to be the one to beat him to it.

"After what we just saw? All of that and you want to go off by yourself? Sorry, but I don't think we can do that," he said, crossing his arms. Starfire looked at him, surprised. Honestly, she had expected him to be the most supportive of her declaration.

"Please, do not do this," she pleaded, hoping that she may not have to lie to them this time. "I am," she paused looking away from all eye contact, "sure that you will know everything soon, perhaps even more than I would have you know, but now I need you to trust me just a little longer." Trust. That had been one of the keys to her freedom. None of her friends wanted to be accused of not trusting her and she knew it. She added another few pangs of guilt to the reserve she was to feel later.

"Starfire, this isn't about us trusting you. This is about you trusting us. What are you hiding and why are you hiding it from us?" Robin asked. Starfire looked up in shock. Robin was not supposed to see her secrets. He was not supposed to sense the half of the truth that she was leaving out. Her frustration began to show through.

"Listen to me," she said, and edge to her voice. "My life is not the one at danger here. If I do not go, alone, without you, then innocent people _will_ be hurt. People who have nothing to do with what _I_ need to do." She did not tell them the names of these innocents. She left out the fact that those in danger were in her presence at that moment.

Robin opened his mouth to protest once more, and once more he was interrupted, this time by Raven.

"Let her go," she stated. Her eyes pierced Starfire for a moment before she turned to look at Robin. "We can't keep her here anyway."

Robin gritted his teeth. With Raven against him he could almost feel himself loosing that battle. On one level, he had a feeling that he had to let her go. Something was telling him that letting her go would be more beneficial that keeping her, but his protective side wanted to keep her in his sight.

Starfire stepped forward, not wanting to waste Raven's words. "I have my communicator. You have my frequency. Give me two hours and if I have not returned, I will need you to follow my signal." She looked into his eyes for a moment. The statement was meant to reassure him. She was not running away from anyone.

She quickly took to the air, before anyone could stop her. Within minutes she was gone, leaving behind a tense silence.

"Cyborg, pull up her signal and track it," Raven said, as soon as she saw Starfire out of the window. It looked like she was headed toward the city, but Raven did not want to follow her too soon.

"Why? You were just saying that we needed to let her go," Cyborg questioned with a scowl. Raven gazed back at him stoically.

"We do. If we had kept her here we would not have learned anything. She's going to meet someone and we're going to follow her. It's the only way we're going to at least start getting answers," Raven replied. "So get her signal before she gets too far away."

* * *

Starfire finally came to a stop in a small clearing in the forest. She had taken great pains to be sure that the spot she picked was far from the city limits. She hoped that the distance was enough to keep the ones she was here to see from thinking of damaging the town. It had certainly been through enough traumas without her bringing her past into the mix.

Starfire almost snorted. How ironic that the place that she used to run from her past now needed her protection from it. She found that it was not the amusing kind of irony either. More the cruel kind that made you sick to your stomach. She was definitely feeling sick.

She stood still for a moment, listening to the sounds of the forest. The sun was only just beginning to set, but it would be dark soon. She had noticed that once the sun started to set, it did so quickly, almost too quickly for her tastes. She knew she would not meet anyone until the sun was at least half way down the horizon.

It was a cowardly tactic, but one she knew they would use. Her power was drawn from the rays of the sun and she was much more powerful during the day. Of course, they would not want to fight her while she was in her element, while she had even a chance at being powerful.

Starfire looked up, surveying the sky. The first few stars were beginning to peak out. She was expecting them in maybe ten minutes. When they would be sure that she was weakened. Starfire sighed and sat in her spot in the center of the clearing. She remained alert though. Sometimes it was more dangerous to fight a coward than someone brave. Cowards fought dirty.

Her mind was absolutely closed to any and all. The intrusion earlier had put her on edge and she had no intention of letting it happen again. She berated herself. Her guard had been down, something that she thought was up at all times. _'Although,'_ she reasoned with herself, _'it was not as if I had to protect myself from Raven. Over the years it was just wasted energy. They were not supposed to find me.'_ Starfire sighed. Funny how things were not working the way they were supposed to lately.

Starfire's eyes snapped upward as a whooshing sound caught her attention. She dived to the right, landing in a graceful roll and onto her feet. The space she had previously occupied exploded in a rush of heat and light. The hit would not have injured her, but it would have hurt.

Emerald power encompassed both of her hands and took over her eyes. Sure enough, she felt the last rays of the sun leave her skin and with it her sense of security. She would have appreciated any and all advantages, the sun being the first on her list. Or maybe second, coming after her friends at her side.

Starfire mentally shook her head. The sun had gone down and her friends were not there for the protection of their lives. _'Or is it the protection of your secrets? Perhaps, your sins? Maybe your shames?'_ a small voice, completely hers, asked in a rough voice. Starfire's eyes glowed brighter.

No matter the reason, she was on her own. She was to fight this battle herself, as she felt she should.

A swirl of darkness suddenly manifested itself before her, the black tendrils whipping around in a tornado, almost cutting her arm. She watched the isolated storm as it lessened in ferocity and from it stepped two forms. The first stepped forward straight and tall. Flaky white skin stretched thin over bones with little to no actual flesh. Taller than average, he gazed almost longingly at her with red, bloodshot eyes, no pupils in sight. His pale skin made his jet-black eyebrows look almost sharp. He was clothed in a thick, black, velvet material very much like a robe. Black boots barely were visible under the long garment. His hands poked out of the black material, clasped together in front of him almost nobly.

This man stepped forward a few steps, but another immediately moved in front of him. Starfire scowled deeply, a profound hatred balling in the pit of her stomach as the figure took shape.

She was a tall shapely woman, holding a good two inches on Starfire. Her curves were accentuated with the black skin-tight shirt with soft black pants to match. Her sleeves were made of a sheer material that draped regally from her arms, showing off the orange-tinted tanned skin, characteristic of most Tamaranians. Her scarlet hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves and she smirked at Starfire with darkly gleaming indigo eyes which Starfire had to convince herself were not black. Her stance, her eyes, everything about her radiated a playful sensuality which never hinted at the immense power or black soul Starfire knew was there.

The woman smirked playfully at her. "What a reunion, you see Xuun? My long lost baby. Dear child, what did I tell you about wandering away from my side at the market?" her silky voice almost purred out. Her voice was soft and voluptuous, with an edge of danger, the epitome of femininity. Starfire knew of many who had fallen pray to that voice, to those eyes. The ball in her stomach clenched.

"Quickly, quietly, and never look back?" Starfire answered, her voice thick with a Tamaranian accent. A soft chuckle floated to her on the cool night air.

"Hostile as ever. I suppose I may always count on you. However, is a hug just too much to ask?" she asked with a mocking smile. Starfire snarled.

"It is. I doubt my skin could withstand the sting of a traitor, a murderer, a torturer, let alone all three at once," she snapped. The light smile from the older woman dimmed some and her eyes flashed.

"Have it your way," she said, raising her hands. Around them appeared a pool of pearly fire. Her eyes reflected the pure glow. "Pleasantries aside, answer me a question."

Starfire dropped into a fighting stance and pulled one of her hands back, ready to fire a projectile forward. Her other hand rose, ready to shoot one straight if she decided to surprise her. "Would it really be worth it?" Starfire asked quietly.

"How close can I bring you to death, without you actually leaving us? I plan on having that pleasure later. Sweet child, exactly how much can you take?" Starfire clenched her jaw, but remained silent. For once, the smirk completely departed the lovely woman's face.

"No matter, I will find out myself" And with that statement, the vixen released a flurry of white-hot fire. Starfire watched motionless as the wall of fire burned toward her and she tilted her head back. She quickly came to the conclusion that irony was her new recipient of her eternal hatred.

* * *

cool. Um. Not much to say here... the next chapter will intoduce my OC. So watch for that. Please review... bye!


	4. Chapter 3 ::Confusion::

AN: hi peeps! updates might pe slower now. I start my volenteer job next week, plus I start dance classes. I'll only have a few free days in a week. And I write in my free time...

I don't own the Teen Titans so, but if I did, I don't think I'd have time for them... :frown

Chapter 3 :Confusion:

The Titans crouched down together in the surrounding foliage. They had arrived shortly after Starfire and had refrained from approaching her, instead opting to wait and find out exactly what she was doing there. So far the team was beyond shock. Starfire simply watched the lethal barrage of fire come toward her for what seemed like too long. Raven was seconds from throwing a shield around her when Starfire suddenly threw her arms up and fired straight into the center of the attack, leaving behind a hole in the almost inescapable assault.

She shot through the opening and immediately returned just as much firepower to the woman on the ground. The woman rose into the sky, her rose-colored hair fanning out around her. The two traded shots until white blended with green and the titans wondered if even the two opponents could tell the difference. Raven in particular was in awe at the grace and style with which the two battled. Starfire seemed to have transformed, the titans had never seen her fight this way.

Starfire shouted as she released two large starbolts at her opponent, but these were dodged easily and before she knew it, Starfire felt something hit her in the stomach with tremendous force. She flew back but quickly caught herself. Her adversary was just as fast, though, and Starfire found herself in a hand-to-hand game, with her on the defensive. She barely had time to block each blow before there was another coming at her. That same chuckle reached her ears.

_"Sloppy, sloppy. I see now how you failed your _tuuymolvf_, K'trina,"_ she mocked. Robin looked at his friends, wondering about the name. She was definitely talking to Starfire. It looked as if they were not interested in it, though, and did not even look at him. They continued to watch the fight, though Robin could see the confusion and slight frustration in their eyes. He knew the feeling.

Starfire growled and took a forceful punch with her shoulder in order to kick towards her opponent's head. It seemed that the woman was not expecting this and hastily raised her arms to block. Starfire took advantage of this by dropping out of the air a few inches mid kick to catch her in the stomach. This sent the woman only a few feet back, which she held, simply hanging in the air, glaring at Starfire. Her coy nature seemed to have evaporated and only then did Starfire see what she knew to be true.

_"Hmmm, you are losing your touch also, Luand'r. Perhaps sitting up in that glorified starship has softened your ability. Or maybe the last few people you betrayed made it easy. I assure you that my skills are greater than theirs,"_ Starfire replied in a low voice. The woman, now revealed as Luand'r, swooped forward and re-engaged their battle.

_"I do remember that attitude. It seems that there is no hope for a normal life after slavery. Let me put you out of your misery,"_ Luand'r grunted. Robin's eyebrows shot upward.

"Slavery?" he breathed. Beastboy, who was closest to him, looked at him.

"What?" he whispered.

"I've never heard anything about slavery, have you?" Robin asked turning to him. Beastboy stared at him strangely.

"Robin, what are you talking about?" he whispered back, eyes wide. Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you pay attention at all? That Luand'r woman just said it," he snapped quietly. He was annoyed that Beastboy did not seem to be taking this seriously. He should have been listening to every word.

"I'm paying attention fine, but I'm not exactly fluent in Tamaranian. I'll tell you when they call one of each other a chlorbag varblarnelk," Beastboy replied on the defensive. By now the side conversation had caught the attention of Cyborg, who was just on the other side of Beastboy. He stared at Robin worriedly, wondering if maybe whatever had happened to Starfire was rubbing off.

"Robin, are you okay, man? I mean, you know that they're up there talkin' Tamaranian, right? This is just a badly placed joke?" Cyborg asked slowly. Robin looked back in shock and slight agitation. He could not find any reason for them to be claiming they could not understand the conversation taking place above them, which, to him, was as clear as it could be. Robin shook his head and turned resolutely back to the fight. Whatever was going on had to be taken care of later.

Robin's gaze unknowingly went to the male; Xuun was what Luand'r had called him. He watched the two fighters in the air, silently shaking his head. He made a tutting sound and raised his hands. "Lovely ladies should never fight so," he said, apparently to no one. His eyes were staring straight at the dueling pair and he waited silently.

Suddenly a glass wall erupted from the ground, separating Starfire and Luand'r. Apparently, the two did not notice the barrier right away because just as soon as it appeared there were several deep cracks in its surface. Luand'r turned her furious gaze on her pale companion, demanding an explanation. He immediately cringed, almost feeling the heat of her wrath. Before he could blink he found himself being held up in the air by his thin, scrawny neck.

_"Explain your actions,"_ she hissed, _"before I find you dispensable." _

"My g-great and powerful lady, m-may I suggest that we did not wish to k-kill the ungrateful one, just y-yet?" he stammered clutching at his neck. He took care to not brush Luand'r's skin with his own though. For a moment, the two locked eyes, or as much as they could with Xuun's pupil-less eyes. Without notice, Luand'r dropped him and slowly put her hand to her temple.

"Of course, it must have slipped my mind. Yes, yes, thank you for that reminder." She seemed to have regained some of the calm she had previously held. She lowered her hands gracefully to her sides and breathed deeply. When her eyes opened they had lost their pearly white glow and were, once again, a disturbingly dark shade of indigo. They were dangerously sweet, once more. The barrier faded and Starfire stepped forward. She remained powered up.

"You see what you do to me K'trina? You almost made me kill you," Luand'r admonished. Starfire fired at her unexpectedly, but she dodged it effortlessly.

_"Learn it, speak it. My name is Koriand'r. Koriand'r is my name, do you understand that?"_ she shouted. She felt another ounce of her control slip away from her. She quickly let the collected energy fade away until she stood without a glow. Luand'r's eyes flashed.

"Of course, the name I chose was inadequate. You choose your name, not your mother. How ridiculous of me," she sneered.

"Finally, you understand!" Starfire exclaimed, knowing full well that the comment had been sarcastic.

"Silence!" Luand'r shouted. "Just be quiet, you little brat! I made you! I clothed you, fed you, sheltered you! Accept it, you ungrateful little prick in my side," her voice dropped down in volume to a dangerous level, "I _own_ you!"

Throughout their exchange, Robin had been distracted. For some reason, the faint sound, like an argument in the next room over, kept hitting him. It would fade and then grow, but each time it was only enough to barely grasp his attention. But now it was steady. He could just barely hear it, but it was there. It seemed like a female voice shouting and another male voice shouting back. It was not loud enough for him to hear what they were saying.

Beastboy's head turned slowly to him. "Robin, please tell me that you hear that," he whispered. Robin was careful.

"Hear what?" he whispered back.

"That sound, like there's someone arguing." Cyborg looked over at the two with wide eyes.

"Thank God!" he exclaimed in a whisper. " I swear I thought I was going paranoid like Star—FIRRRRRREE!"

His whispered admission had been transformed into a cry of surprise, mid-word. The rest of the Titans watched in shock and horror as Cyborg was propelled from his hiding place and straight toward Luand'r. It looked like an unknown girl had collided with the cybernetic hybrid, sending them both flying toward certain injury.

Starfire watched, her mind numb with surprise. She was frozen to the spot and could do nothing but watch as her mother turned, on reflex, and fired a rather weak blast by her standards, but powerful enough to cause horrible burns. Her shock only doubled as she saw the rest of her team appear from the same area as Cyborg, calling his name fearfully.

Suddenly, there was a brown blur as the blast was mysteriously deflected, exploding somewhere in the middle of the forest. Cyborg thudded to the ground with a grunt and looked up. The girl who had hit him was standing over him, looking livid.

"Damnit! Where the hell am I?" she demanded of no one. She was looking around her angrily with her fists balled and her muscles tensed. All of the Titans' mouths hung open and no one seemed to know what to do. Except for Luand'r.

A single, perfectly cared for, eyebrow raised itself curiously. She stepped forward and was soon circling the new girl, getting a good look at her. She was just about Starfire's height with dark chocolate skin. A single black braid hung to the center of her back, whipping from sided to side as its owner watched Luand'r's circling. What stood out about her were her piercing, electric-blue eyes, her hard glare cutting through everything. A reddish-black halter-top and matching shorts clothed her, both made of a leathery material. A long, wooden, staff hung from her back by a long, thin strip of beige cloth.

"What have we here?" Luand'r asked coming to a stop, facing the newcomer. "One of your little friends? Tell me, what is your name, dear?" Luand'r watched as her gaze moved from the forest surroundings to meet her eyes. She was taken aback as she scowled at her. She had expected fear, shock, or at least apprehension. What she saw was annoyance.

"Excuse me, but I was wondering why that was your concern." Her voice was biting and sarcastic. Luand'r blinked, surprised, but quickly regained her composure. Her eyes narrowed, though her smile remained in place.

"You hide your emotions well, but I believe silence would accommodate you best at the moment," she advised quietly. The girl narrowed her eyes back and stepped forward to everyone's surprise. Her face was inches away from Luand'r who did not move back, but watched her in stunned curiosity.

"I'm sure. Well how about a trade? I'll be silent as soon as you _get away from me_," she snapped, before whirling on the spot and storming away angrily. Luand'r watched, with a small smirk on her face. She chuckled softly.

"Hmm, no. Wrong answer," she answered softly to the girl's back. She quickly summoned an energy bolt to her hand and sent it hurtling toward her. The girl's back was turned and she appeared unaware of the imminent danger. Starfire's voice quickly came back to her and she shouted a warning. The girl turned her head, just in time to see a pure white orb whistling toward her head.

With one fluid motion, the strap suspending the staff to her back was whipped over her head. The girl held the staff firmly and swung it in a diagonal arc, toward the rapidly approaching attack. Again, the explosion was deflected and thrown away toward a different section of the forest. Again, the Titans were speechless at the display of raw power. Cyborg was remaining very still; frantically trying to find a way to escape what was swiftly becoming a battlefield without drawing the attention to himself.

"What is…" the girl's eyes suddenly went wide and her mouth hung wide. Suddenly, she whipped around and fixed Raven with her angry gaze and then Starfire. "I hate that damned angel," she muttered, looking off to the side. Her eyes came back to Luand'r. "I guess I actually have to give a damn." She straightened and turned her back on Luand'r calmly walking to where Starfire was standing, pausing to glance in disdain at Cyborg who was dusting the dirt off of himself. Starfire watched her approach with apprehension but only watched as she moved toward her, passed her, and then settled herself on the ground behind her. Somehow, Starfire did not feel threatened in the least and turned her attention to more pressing matters.

"What are you doing here?" Starfire asked quietly, the first distinguishable sentence she had said since her team's appearance. Her gaze shifted from one member to another, and each felt the full brunt of her betrayed feelings. Luand'r finally decided to forget about the strange female behind her daughter and instead took in the rest of the newcomers.

"Of course, they are here to see with their own eyes, the almighty mistress who tamed the great _Koriand'r_." Starfire winced as her name scraped across her ears like a filthy swear. She decided to ignore her mother for the moment and focused instead on her friends. She had asked them to trust her and here they were, watching just out of sight.

"Ah, but my great lady, it seems that she has neglected to mention… just about everything." Xuun turned his vacant stare on Starfire. "A double life she lives. Most dishonest." Starfire turned to him with a sneer.

_"Do not speak to me about honesty and dishonesty."_

"Keep your temper, K'trina. I think that it is very unfair for your friends to be kept out of the loop. And I take it upon myself to give them the information that you so thoughtlessly denied them," Luand'r said righteously. She sent a significant look to Xuun. Starfire's eyes went wide, as a feeling of helplessness stole over her. The emotion hit her forcefully, almost making her physically weak. She stumbled, but quickly caught herself and looked at Xuun, though she could not find the strength to hold her body erect.

"Stop. I am not yours any more. I am no longer yours to punish and reward as you see fit! Now, I am free," she asserted, still managing to sound strong despite her weakness. Luand'r smiled.

"Dear child," she said softly, approaching slowly. She chuckled as she watched Starfire finally fall to her knees, a single tear slipping from her eyes. The titans lunged forward and fought to get to their teammate's side, but suddenly found themselves immobile. Robin's vision went red as Luand'r let the back of her hand trail across Starfire's cheek. Starfire pulled back as if burned and refused to turn in her direction.

"Get away from her!" he shouted. His outburst went ignored.

Luand'r watched her daughter fight to resist the pull of pure desperation. She hid her surprise as the defeated aura took a turn and she turned and glared heatedly at her. It was too late, of course. Luand'r promptly took hold of the delicate neck and lifted her, not concerning herself about being gentle. Starfire winced and clutched her wrist, though did not do much to free herself, knowing that with a simple gesture her neck could be snapped.

"Let me tell you something," she said, her voice gentle and caressing. "You will _always_ be mine." With the last words hers, Luand'r threw her straight into the air where she was held, her body straight and rigid. Starfire bit back the moan rising in her throat. Every muscle in her body was tensed, stretched thin to the point of tearing. She screwed her eyes shut against the pain. The titans struggled more aggressively.

"Now, let the lessons begin," Luand'r said, moving to stand authoritatively in front of them. She looked over at Xuun again who was grinning in excitement. The new girl who had been sitting so quietly behind Starfire suddenly stood. Her eyes moved from Xuun to Starfire, watching closely. Starfire cried out loudly as a thin blue stream burst forth from her right temple. It coiled tightly before the captive audience before it contracted into a small sphere. It pulsed once, twice, and suddenly exploded outward.

It enveloped them all before anyone could move, plunging them in absolute darkness. Robin continued to pull against whatever kept him bound, although it remained apparent that it was futile.

"What are you trying to accomplish?" Robin heard, echoed in Starfire's voice. The exclamation held a note of desperation that more than anything else chilled Robin to the bone. Never, in the entire years of knowing Starfire had he ever heard such deep fear and such dark torture. "What do you want from me?" The horrible, whispered question echoed back to Robin over and over.

Two voices, one old, dried, and male, while the other was young, fresh and undeniably feminine, merged into one sinister laugh. "How about your soul?"

Suddenly, as if released by the menacing exclamation, the darkness shattered around them and gave way to the image of a huge, circular room. It resembled an arena or coliseum with rows and rows of seats. All seats, however, were empty as the crowd roared energetically, all on their feet.

All focus was down below, on the large concrete field. It was about half the size of a football field, but shaped rectangular, like a tennis court. Instead of green grass, there was harsh gray concrete and no markings. Robin quickly caught sight of the source of the excitement.

About twelve men, all with Xuun's complexion and eye color, raced about the field, all trying to capture the same girl. They seemed to have been divided into teams of four and fought each other just about as much as their prey. Robin unconsciously leaned forward, wanting a better look at the girl. His wish was immediately granted as the point of view glided down to rest on the arena floor.

The battle raged fiercely as the crowd above then jeered and shouted. Each team seemed to be competing to capture the girl first, for when one man from one team caught the girl in a tight spot, another would free her and pursue her himself.

The girl herself was keeping up a good fight, taking advantage of the disunity around her. Her appearance, though, was nothing short of alarming, with her form unhealthily thin. Most of her skin was scraped and bruised, most likely from colliding with the concrete ground, to the point that her complexion was unrecognizable from a bruise or scar. Her hair was long, but very uneven, with the longest reaching to the middle of her back and the shortest barely brushing her shoulder. The ruby coloring in her hair boasted darker, redder spots of blood, indicating a bleeding wound somewhere on her head. Despite all of this, her eyes remained stunning and defiant. Her body looked no older than eleven, but her eyes showed someone who was weary. The kind of weariness associated with both an old age and a full life. There was no way that the small, unhealthy girl had experienced either.

Despite her looks, she was saving herself. She was easily a better fighter than any of the surrounding men. She was quick and agile and, judging from the horrible cracks that occurred when she hit anything, she was strong. One on one, or possibly even four on one, she would have easily won. However, she was outnumbered to the point that Robin was impressed that she continued to last on her own.

Suddenly, though, she was taken down as a metal looking pipe slammed against her scull. Robin had seen her take at least two such blows. Before she would crumple briefly, but each time, regain her footing quickly and escape her pursuer's clutches. This time, however, she hit the ground and remained there a moment too late. She attempted to roll away, but one of the men quickly snatched at her hair, yanking her to her feet. Her face was twisted fiercely and she shouted something at him while clutching at his hand.

Seeing this, the man grabbed her and threw her bodily to one of his teammates. She would have been caught safely, but one from another team shoved the receiver roughly, leaving her to hit the ground, skidding almost two feet. She whimpered softly, feeling the sting of shredded skin on her upper arm and thigh, but, she instantly had a palm on the ground, struggling to get up.

She was, again, too late to escape as one of another team plunged a knee into the middle of her back, effectively pinning her to the ground. She grunted in pain and struggled violently, but it was worthless. She was outweighed. With a glint of triumph, her captor quickly reached back and pulled out a knife with the same sign etched into the hilt as the back of his shirt, apparently indicating his team. The crowd drew a collective breath at the appearance of the knife, though the girl seemed unaware as sparks of some kind continued to go off around her hands.

Then, almost in slow motion, the crowd began to roar as the tip of the sword made a downward arc toward the girls back. Her eyes went wide, and then closed tightly as just about four inches of the stainless steel plunged deep into her shoulder.

"Kori! Kori, no! Kori!" someone, somewhere shouted desperately as the girl screamed. Her scream shook the arena as it blended with the desperate cries. It shook it so much that it started to fade, parts of it flickering here and there.

"No… no… NO!"

Suddenly, there was a flash of green and a hiss of pain and everything was gone. All of the titans were replaced back in the forest clearing, suddenly free. Luand'r was faced away from them and toward Starfire as Xuun kneeled on the ground, clutching his face in pain. An angry red welt was visible through his thin fingers.

"You will not do this to me." All heads turned toward the low voice, surprisingly calm, like someone just realizing the answer to a simple problem. There, Starfire stood, framed by long streamers of emerald flame that sprouted from her back and danced and wreathed around her, like dolphins at play. Starfire watched the banners of energy with eyes that mirrored their light. She gazed at them with mild fascination as they brushed against her almost affectionately and coiled before her, almost threateningly. Hesitantly, Starfire raised her hand and watched as one of the streams raised with it, bending to her will. She looked up and fixed Luand'r with her burning gaze.

"This is my home," she said, "All of it; the entire planet. And you are not welcome here. Leave." With this said, she threw her arm forward, releasing the stream of energy like a whip. Luand'r dodged easily, but was not prepared for the second band flicking toward her. She barely avoided the attack and rose into the air, her eyes darker than ever.

"Until we meet again, fair K'trina," she sneered as Xuun rose to her side. The glowing tendrils followed her several feet into the air, but quickly dropped back down to the ground as the two figures disappeared in a swirl of black.

The silence left in the small clearing was interrupted only by Starfire's rough pants. She held her arm around her stomach, as if in pain, and did not meet her teammates' eyes. No one moved for a moment, which felt like an eternity, until one lone figure moved toward Starfire.

The chocolate-skinned girl approached her with something akin to boredom in her eyes. She halted in her deliberate paces about two feet from Starfire and regarded her critically. Finally, she spoke.

"You will lose consciousness if you go on like this. Release or retract your power, if you can," she said, crossing her arms. Her voice was condescending at best and her eyes were narrowed viciously. Starfire nodded mutely, ignoring her tone. The lights of her eyes were extinguished as she let her lids slide closed.

All at once, the energy around her halted its constant motion and flared brighter. Quickly, the power rushed toward Starfire, plunging itself into any skin exposed to it. Starfire gasped and kneeled, sitting back with her legs tucked under her, clearly in pain. She leaned forward with her hands on her knees, panting as the last shreds of power disappeared. However, even as the power evaporated she continued to pant, a low moan passing through her. The new girl looked down at her in thinly disguised disgust.

"Surely this is what friends are for," she murmured, turning her back on her and retreating to the line of trees. Starfire leaned lower to the ground as the intense strain inflicted on her body finally began to affect her and her stomach heaved. Fortunately or not, she had not had her dinner and only a vile burning liquid came from her, though that did not eliminate the wretched feeling in her stomach. This seemed to awaken the rest of the team and they sprang from their frozen states and to her side.

Cyborg gently gathered her hair and held it back as she finished, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. She lifted her head, though the fatigue was already closing in around her. These symptoms were ones she would expect from all that she had been through that day. She'd exerted entirely too much energy, coupled with the fact that she had not been sleeping well for the past few days, undoubtedly, the days that Xuun had occupied in her mind. She managed to lock eyes with Raven. It was not a long look, but it was enough to convey the disappointment she felt.

"I asked you to trust me," she whispered with her last strength. That said, Starfire closed her eyes and let her body go limp. Raven pressed her lips into a thin line and looked away, toward the new girl, who was lounging comfortably against a tree. She let out an 'hmph' and pushed away from her support.

"I told her she would fall unconscious," she said as she faced them. She held her weight centered, unlike most females who preferred to alternate sides. Now that she had calmed, her electric-blue eyes seemed to pulse steadily as she took in their appearances and vice versa. Finally, she rolled her eyes at them. "I would think that she would appreciate a bed right now. Or maybe you will leave her here?" she questioned irritably. Robin stood and approached the girl confidently.

"Who—"

"Dude, your clothes are disintegrating!" Beastboy exclaimed, interrupting Robin's questioning. The girl's eyes went wide and looked down at her stomach, which was slowly exposing itself as the leathery material floated away like smoke. Narrowing her eyes, she swore viciously. She whirled around and looked toward the sky, her body tensed with anger.

"Would you like to _fix this_?" she shouted to no one, making the Titans' stare. Her angry question seemed to be answered, however, as the disappearing clothing was instantly replaced by some of a completely different type. She turned staring critically at her new attire. The leather shorts had been replaced by soft, baggy, black, knit pants that cuffed tightly at her ankles. On her feet were black sneakers. A form fitting black T-shirt took the place of the halter top, with the word 'Sunshine' spelled out in pink.

"A sense of humor, how charming," she muttered, reading the shirt. She looked up at them, this time grudgingly. "You waste time, staring like that. It's getting cold. Let's go."

Raven stood and helped Starfire into Cyborg's arms. "Whoever she is, she's right. Starfire should wake up within an hour or two. We need to talk to her." She turned to look at the new girl. "And you… I have questions for you."

"My name is Keenyara. Remember it."

Beastboy snorted. "What an ego." He grumbled. Keenyara's eyes seemed to cut straight through him as she glared.

"I'd rather you had no idea I existed, though as it is," she paused and grudgingly bent at the waist, a reluctant bow, "I serve the chosen ones, Princess and Portal."

* * *

dum dum DUM! What could she be talking about? I know... So tune in sometime in the near future for the next intalment of... JEWELED EYES!


	5. Chapter 4 ::A Night of AnswersPt1::

AN: haha! didn't think you'd see me again so soon huh? Well I have an update!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the teen titans at all nor Starfire's past, but I came up with a very good solution to that! I made up another one!

Chapter 4 :The Night of Answers(Pt.1):

Ever since she had arrived on Earth, Starfire had been enchanted with fairy tales. It was this, in part, which caused most of the media and public to deem her the 'innocent and naive alien.' She had always been fascinated by their portrayal of life, of places where life was eternally happy and everyone you met was charming and witty and loving. Their view of people, too, had always intrigued her, with everyone separated into two distinct groups: the beautiful, inside and out, and the ugly, with hearts of black. If you were good in those stories, then you were beautiful. If you were good, then you were wonderful, the essence of benevolence and love. In those stories, if even a shred of goodness lived in your heart, then it was never a question. You would go to the moon and back for the hungry man on the corner, or the crying child at the market.

Most of all, Starfire studied the princesses. They alone seemed a different race when compared with the people of reality. A princess of the fairy tales had no faults, and if they had, then the fault was made to make her unique or one who struggled above it. If one was a princess of the Kingdom of Far Away(because the kingdoms were never close by) one was always in a loving and cheerful mood. But if, by chance, you were not, the only other acceptable emotions were devastatingly sorrowful or silent bravery.

Princesses were always beautiful, and if they were not, they became that way. A princess was the love of her country with every available male absolutely begging for her hand in marriage. But she did not accept the most handsome or strong or richest of suitors. She only had eyes for the one with the purest heart. Princesses were never superficial and princesses were never deceived. Princesses were the light, and when they gracefully floated into their ballroom, everything else dimmed so that they may shine even brighter.

For all of these reasons and more, Starfire found fairy tales to be immensely captivating and entertaining. Sometimes she found it funny, the way she was considered naive on a planet with such stories. Many days she lay in her room with a large book of such tales and compared reality and fiction. The results were enough to make her laugh out loud at the delightfully incorrect little stories.

She had heard of princesses, known throughout the galaxy for their unbearably hideous features. She had seen her sister, first in line for the crown, storming about the palace in a terrible rage and taking it out on innocent servants. She herself had had seven guards, more than enough for such a small child as herself, solely to protect her from the thousands of people who hated her, only because _she_ was she and they were not. And everyday she heard of princesses and young girls married off to seal deals with other planets and kingdoms. When a real princess stumbled into her first ball, everyone in attendance did all that he or she could to subtly steal the spotlight and make the princess look dim in comparison.

Her mother was notorious throughout the galaxy for her stunning beauty and throughout half of the same galaxy for her malice.

Despite all of this, Starfire found fairy tales comforting. The idea that people in the world believed that the place of a princess was such a noble one somehow warmed her and she longed to be the kind of princess depicted in the stories. So, with fairy tales holding such a special place in her heart, it was hardly surprising that Starfire began her difficult and painful story with a 'Once upon a time.'

"Once upon a time, on a metal ship lost in space, there lived a girl, though what she endured throughout her days could hardly be deemed a life. She lived with her sister and brother. Everyday she woke up and washed herself, dressed herself, and ventured alone to the training room for the day. Everyday, she was tested. Sometimes it was her strength, sometimes it was her agility. Sometimes she had to fight her sister, who was two year older than her, and sometime her brother, who was her twin. And everyday she did it without complaining and with only one protest. 'I am not K'trina. My name is Koriand'r.'

Starfire was seated in the very center of the large curved couch with all attention focused on her. Robin sat next to her with his hand on the small of her back, silently encouraging her. On her other side Cyborg was facing her, not saying anything and keeping his features even. Beastboy was on the other side of him, watching her face carefully, as if he was ready to begin comforting at the first sign of tears. Raven was on the other side of Robin, not looking at her, but straight in front of her. Starfire knew she was listening, as she was very still. Finally, the one who had appeared and spoken to her earlier was on the other side of Raven. She had been introduced as Keenyara and was sitting cross-legged with her wooden staff laid across her lap. She stared intently at the pole, very quiet.

"So one day, her mother said to her, in a rage, 'Fine, you wish to be Starfire then I will give you Starfire. You will be Starfire and I will make you that way!' So the next day, she was taken from her siblings and they began to test her body instead of her. They found out how much her body could take. They found out what magics could force it to take more. And after six months of the medical experiments, they took her and a rather large sample of the nuclear fusion from a nearby star and poured it into her veins." There was a pause as Starfire's eyes seemed to glaze over as she gazed at nothing in particular. Reality seemed to fade away as the memories of her life took their place. She closed her eyes, hoping very much that it would keep her in touch with what she knew to be real.

"It hurt so much," she whispered, her story more speaking her than the other way around, "and I screamed so hard. I begged her, 'Turn it off, turn it off. I will be good, I will be K'trina, I will do anything you say. Just please turn it off.' And the entire time… she just listened. She just stood there and let me suffer. I wished I could fall unconscious; I wished it would kill me, but it did neither. And my mother watched while I was trapped there, reduced to wishing for my death." Suddenly, Starfire lowered her head, almost ashamed. "And then I wished for hers.

"Finally, it was over and they put me in a cell until the next morning. When I woke up," she raised a hand and summoned a starbolt, regarding it, "I had truly become Starfire." She fell silent, seemingly done. Almost without knowing it she leaned closer to Robin, hoping for some kind of comfort. Gently, Robin ran his hand upward until it rested on the base of her neck, rubbing his thumb in small circles, equally unconscious of the action.

"But I still don't get it. What was that thing we saw in the forest, when we couldn't move," Beastboy asked, his voice and features serious. Starfire paused to reflect on the unnaturalness this presented.

"It was a memory of a test. A test that I failed. A test that I could not afford to lose and I lost anyway." Starfire looked away, refusing to say more. Robin felt a strange feeling well up inside of him. It was something like anger, but so much less severe. Annoyance, agitation, maybe. He looked at Starfire with a frown.

"Starfire, why didn't you ever tell us this before? You still aren't giving us the entire story, even now. Why all of the secrets?" he asked quietly. Starfire looked at him hard, before shaking her head. Tiredly, she stood, and combed her hand through her hair. She could not stand sitting anymore. She knew if she was still for too long her muscles would stiffen and she would regret it.

"Because the chance was given to me. I will be truthful with you. If this had not happened now, the way it did, I do not know if I ever would have revealed my past. It may have remained a secret for years more, or maybe forever," she said. She looked at Robin with a look he could not quite decipher. "When I came to earth, I decided who I wanted to be and how I wanted to act, something that I had never had before. Do you really think that I would give that up?"

Robin felt that feeling in his chest surge upward again, stronger than before. The urge to snap overcame him, always being impulsive as he was.

"How would you be giving it up? Telling your friends about you, would that really serve to do anything but to help us understand you better? I'm not getting it!" he snapped, before he cold catch up with his mouth. He knew his tone had been wrong as soon as he finished saying it, but it had been what he felt. He had meant the words and the question had been pulling at him the since he first kneeled in the bushes listening to stories that were not revealed to him by the one they should have.

Starfire's eyes went narrow as she glared at Robin. Her nerves had already been stretched thin by the confrontation with her mother. Her stress had been elevated by the reliving of her making. That particular comment from the one she had expected so to be her support and not to question her was just too much for her at the moment.

Her eyes did not glow, but Robin felt that he would have been less afraid if they had. She stood straight with her body rigid. "Did you not even hear what I said?" she asked, her voice low with danger. Robin did not move. "You do not get it, yes? Then I will make you understand." Her voice rose to a shout, something foreign to Robin in particular. "She is the princess and will act accordingly! The girl is a weapon and this is her fate! The brat is my experiment and I will make her act this way! The stupid _bitch_ is my property and her behavior will be this way!"

All sound in the room seemed to stop as Starfire got louder, first storming away from them and then closer. In her rage, she could hardly decide where she wanted to be, but she settled for the middle of the room with her glare fixed on Robin. "For my entire life, I have been defined by other people, by titles that _they_ gave me! Since the moment I was born it was planned for me what I would do, how I would do it, my attitude, my disposition, my _mind_, all of it was decided for me.

"And then I stumble onto this planet and as I was with you more I noticed the way you waited for _me_ to define who I was," she yelled, pointing at herself for emphasis. "For the first time in my life, you looked to me to show you who I wanted to be. You do not _understand_ that that was the single greatest relief of my life? You do not _understand_ that that alone was the freedom I had always yearned for? You do not _understand _that by adding a label to myself, whether it be princess, experiment, or slave, that I would be freely inviting you to define me? You do not _understand _it?" she questioned harshly, tears threatening to fall, however she did not let them. Turning her back on Robin, she retreated away from the couch and toward the double doors leading to the hallway. She paused, halfway through the doors and turned her cold gaze on Robin.

"Then understand this. The freedom to decide what I wanted to be and who I wanted to be was a freedom that I refused to jeopardize, whether or not that meant keep some of the facts of my life a secret, and I will _not_ be made to apologize for that." She stepped through the door and let it slide shut behind her, leaving a dazed group of Titans, a slightly interested young woman, and a red-faced Robin in her wake.

* * *

Robin pounded away at the punching bag that swung from the ceiling. He had retreated to the gym almost immediately after Starfire's outburst without a word to his friends. His face was still red with embarrassment at his reaction to her story. He had known as soon as he formed the words that he would be in trouble, but he had disregarded it. He had said it anyway and Starfire had put him right back in his place.

But what bothered him most was the fact that he was no where near sorry he asked his question, just sorry it had come out so wrong. If her past had been something that she had simply never mentioned then he would not have been so hurt, but the fact that she had straight up and down lied to them was just too much.

Robin was interrupted in his thought as he heard the doors to the large room hiss open and unfamiliar steps approach him. He stopped his punches, stepped away from the bag, careful of the backswing, and turned, fully expecting to see Raven with a stern look, or maybe Cyborg with a smug all-knowingness about him. He received a shock as he instead saw the dark-skinned young woman looking at him with subdued interest.

He took a moment to note her face, which was pretty, in an odd kind of way. She had a kind of foreign, exotic look, but one that did not remind him of any country on earth. In a way it was close to Starfire's alien brand of beauty, though with only a bit more humanity to it. Robin carefully logged this information away, knowing that every observation about this newcomer thrust into their lives was important.

"No one would really send you, so what are you doing here?" he asked, without preamble. She seemed to ignore his frosty tone and continued her obvious observation of him, seeming to be taking the same attitude as he did.

"No. Somehow, wherever I go, there is always someone stupid enough to hits things when things don't go their way. I thought I'd take advantage of someone already fighting, although," she eyed the swinging punching bag disdainfully, "if you'd like to go on hitting that sack, I don't think I can stop you. Doesn't seem like a fair fight though." Her voice was blatantly challenging and mocking at the same time and she pulled the wooden staff out of its bond and tossed the strip of cloth to the side.

Robin was silent, considering the offer. On the one hand, he did not know who this girl was or if she was really an ally (though she still made no claim to be), or what she could do. Alternately, he needed to work of some excess stress if he wanted to get anywhere near sleep that night, and help was only a button's push away if things got out of hand. Furthermore, the mystery that the girl presented was driving him crazy. I spar could get some answers out of her.

Robin drew his own bo-staff out of his tool belt and extended it, moving away a few feet. The girl seemed to take this as a yes and smirked, shifting her weight experimentally. "I've never worn these kind of shoes before, so let's not assume that this is my best," she said, twirling her staff idly in her fingers. Robin rolled his eyes, her cocky attitude starting to get to him.

"Gonna power up?" he asked making sure to keep the resemblance of calm. She seemed to snort at the thought.

"Don't pretend to know all about me. You just worry about getting yourself ready." The two stood impassively for a few seconds before they both sprinted forward as if an invisible green light had flashed between them.

The pair met in the center of the gym with the clack of wood on metal. Robin made two or three swipes at her, testing just how quick she was. She blocked each of them and deftly maneuvered around him and sung a tip of the pole toward his left side. Robin, hardly putting his whole self into the fight was caught off guard and froze with the wooden edge pressing firmly against his side.

"Finished playing?" Keenyara asked annoyed. Of course, she did not expect him to fight to his fullest at first. But she wanted him to know that she _would_. Robin slowly reached into his belt, and pulled out a single smoke pellet, making sure that she did not see him.

"I guess," he muttered and quickly spun throwing the pellets to the ground and releasing a small cloud of smoke into the air. The resulting pop caught Keenyara enough off guard to make her back up a few paces, but to Robin's surprise the smoke was gone with a flick of her wrist. Her eyes darted in search of him and found him, a little too late as he swept her legs from under her.

Quickly, Keenyara leaned back farther, just managing to catch herself on her hands and barely able to tip her weight to land on her feet again. Knowing that Robin was ready for her, she quickly kneeled onto one knee and slapped both palms flat against the floor. A wave of wind radiated from her like a ripple in water, tripping Robin on its way outward. Robin fell forward but managed to catch himself in a graceful roll and came to a stop, kneeling not far from Keenyara.

Neither moved as kind of silent truce reigned. "So you control wind, huh? We had an earth mover like that once," he said thoughtfully. Though his tone was light, his thoughts were anything but as he thought of Terra and her betrayal. Keenyara rolled her eyes.

"Don't lump me in with any manipulators from this dimension. I'd be surprised if any wind movers within fifteen miles could create so much as a gentle breeze once I got here. The problem with control," she continued, "is that it is very possible to lose it." She suddenly lunged at Robin, pushing him to the ground and continuing with a graceful round-off to her feet. She looked at him lying flat on his back, surprised by the attack. "There is never complete control when dealing with the wind."

Robin rolled over and got to his feet. He charged without warning at her and made a single swing at her stomach. He did not, however wait for her to block the blow before he changed marks and swung at her temple, halting his staff a mere inch from her crown. The two were frozen again.

"But I've seen them do it. Element manipulators seem to be pretty popular around here. I know there're at least two around the city. The wind is tamable from what I can see. You certainly have it under your power." The comment only seemed to annoy her more and she quickly pushed the staff away with her hand.

"Please," she said with a hint of scorn, "your wind movers are _nothing_ compared to me. I do not _control_ the wind, I _am_ the wind." She said this, crossing her arms as if it were obvious. "So ask whatever questions you have so that I can be on my way and get some sleep. Your long chair will be good enough for tonight."

Robin retracted his staff as Keenyara retrieved the strip of cloth and carefully wrapped it around the middle of the staff. She was done promptly and replaced her weapon to its place hanging from her back.

Robin watched her, wondering if it was normal to dislike her so quickly. "What makes you think you're staying here?" he asked. Keenyara shot him a look.

"Oh, please," she huffed, pushing stray strands of hair out of her face, "don't make my job any harder. I am very sure that intervening with divine intervention is enough to get you into hell." She reached behind her and began to undo the single braid she wore. She obviously did not deem him worthy of all of her attention.

"What do you mean, 'divine intervention'? Are you some kind of angel?" he asked, half joking and half serious, just in case it was true. Raven was, after all, a half demon. Part of him was completely used to the abnormally that counted as his life.

For the first time since entering their home, Keenyara's eyes' rhythmic throbbing increased slightly and became more erratic. She narrowed them at Robin. "Angels are a bunch of jackasses. Now, I've been called a few things in my life, but a jackass? Not yet," she snapped as she combed through her hair a couple of time and began to re-braid it again.

Robin found himself torn between dislike and intrigue. "Un-huh, get back to the divine intervention part," he commanded briskly. She glared at him reproachfully.

"To put it simply, I make sure your girls don't die. Apparently, the fact that I'm not a _jackass_ qualifies me for the job. So do me a favor." She paused, finally done with her hair and pushed it over her shoulder, again bored. "Do your protective thing all you want, I really don't give a crap, but if you get one of them killed, don't think I'll take it lightly. Nothing personal of course."

Robin narrowed his eyes and pushed past her roughly. "You can stay the night, until we get the chance to talk about the situation. Don't mistake that for our trust though," he said, keeping his voice as level if he could. Of course, he was offended (and angry) at the insinuation that his leadership skills could get someone killed. He was in the act of storming out of the room when she called out to him.

"Hey," she called, her face completely serious, "Don't mistake my staying here as an offering of mine." Robin merely nodded and left her, she hoped in search of Starfire.

Heaving a sigh, Keenyara sat on the wooden floor, hoping for a moment of peace in the stupid building. Leaning back on one hand, she used the other to tiredly rub her face. She was still recovering from the slight shock of being flung into an alternate dimension and given responsibility for the lives of two girls.

To say that she had been angry would be a lie. Truthfully, she had been enraged. One moment she had been arguing forcefully with some high ranking angel, the next he was talking about her being assigned as the guardian to some children in some other dimension, and then she was _in_ that dimension, unnervingly near the center of the battle between good and evil. Apparently, the fact that she had just tipped the scales in favor of good in her own dimension was not enough. She had been reduced to chaperoning a couple of juveniles across an unfamiliar galaxy.

_'I refuse to be a damned babysitter,'_ she thought fiercely. Unfortunately, she did not have much of a say in the matter. It had been forced on her, and no matter how much she disliked it, she would do the job. If anything could be said about Keenyara, she always made well on her agreements. Even the involuntary ones.

Truthfully, if anything, it was her fierce assertions that had gotten her into this mess in the very beginning. She had never been the kind of person who socialized very well, and whether that was the cause or effect of her solitary life, she was not sure. She had been outspoken for as long as she could remember. She had blatantly disregarded all rules of courtesy for just as long, if not longer. She found a certain peace in pointing out the stupidity of others.

So of course when the arch angel of the Heavens had asked she and her friends what she thought of her trip she had told him, or rather what she thought of_ him_. She told him how she had not appreciated the weight of saving the worlds on her (and her friends, which she had added as an after thought) and she basically thought he was an ass.

In her mind, respect was to be earned, but in order to be respected you must first be trusted. To first have trust you must show that you deserve it. In her life of eighteen years, she had given her trust to only six beings, and one was a hawk. She had never in her life given up her true respect and those who knew her did not ever expect her to.

_'Which doesn't make it good odds for these bunch,_' she mused, hauling herself off of the floor and out of the room, intent on asking someone about a blanket. Sure, she had slept outdoors without one most of her life, but outside had never been as cold as it was in Titan's Tower.

* * *

Starfire almost jumped, hearing the knock at her door. She had been sitting quietly, thinking staring sadly at her hands. Her room was dark and she was dressing in a too-large T-shirt and silky pajama pants. She had intended to try to sleep, but she was soon consumed with guilt and had been reflecting on her behavior over the last few hours, and even since she met them.

Though she was reluctant to admit it, she had heard Robin's words and she had understood them to an extent. Around the marker of her first year with the Titans, Robin had called a meeting and asked, quite understandingly, that there be no secrets between them. He asked that they reveal all of their pasts to each other and had started this by going first. When it came Starfire's turn, she had panicked and told some made up story of being the prize of another alien race. At the time, the concept had seemed romantic and dramatic, much more glamorous than her actual past. Starfire knew it had been difficult for all of her friends to tell their stories aloud, and she could certainly understand Robin's anger at being lied to.

Because of this, she was very surprised when she found Robin at her door, looking almost lost. She watched him silently as he shifted nervously and scratched the back of his neck, something she spotted instantly. Finally, he met her eyes timidly with a mumbled, "I, um, do you think I could come in?" Starfire looked down at her feet and stepped aside, responding to him with a silent nod.

For a moment the pair was silent, both avoiding eye contact. Then Robin broke the calm with a tired sounding sigh. He sat on the edge of Starfire's bed, motioning for Starfire to join him. Starfire complied and shifted until her back was against the headbord of her bed, facing Robin, still not saying anything.

"I suppose that I owe you an apology."

"I guess I need to say sorry."

The two looked at each other, confused by the admission. Robin seemed to recover first. "You're sorry? Why? I thought you were mad at me," he asked softly. Starfire shot him a sideways glance.

"Oh, I was. I believe that I still am, but I should not have lost my temper that way, no matter how insensitive you have been," she said, though he voice held no anger that Robin could hear. To him, she actually sounded sad, something that was worse. Robin hung his head.

"Star, you know I'm sorry about that. You know I didn't mean for it to come out like that, but I swear I can't understand it." He looked up and held Starfire's gaze. "You know that we wouldn't do anything but support you, that _I_ wouldn't do anything but treat you the same!" Starfire found that she did not have to try hard to keep her temper this time. The fact was that she was simply too tired to be very angry.

"Did I? Did I really know that, Robin? Think about it for a moment, if you had been me; if you had lived my life, would you truly know that?" she asked, leaning her head back. She did not look at him and instead stared at the bed spread between them. More and more, she was feeling the guilt of her lies, seeing his point of view. Her own reasons were starting to fade to her and she could hardly believe herself now.

Robin interrupted her thoughts by lifting her chin gently, forcing her to look him in the eye. The movement was less effective in the fact that he still wore his mask and she still could not see his eyes. Nonetheless, the gesture did have an effect on Starfire. "Think about what you just told me," Robin replied softly. "That's what I mean. How can I imagine what I would do if I were you if I don't even know about the life you've lived? It's not even that really," he said, releasing his grip on her chin and looking toward the ceiling as if he would find the right words there. He paused only a second before he looked back down at her. "Star, we," he sighed, "we're _together_ now. I just… don't have a good feeling about that. About having so many secrets between us." He pronounced the word 'together' strangely, as if the two rarely defined their status to one another.

Truthfully, the definition of what they were in relation to each other was something that was not discussed often. They had never really spelled it out for their teammates. They had let them draw their own conclusions about it. Their days were not littered with I-love-you's or anything of the sort and the words 'girlfriend' and 'boyfriend' both seemed juvenile. In fact, neither had heard the dreaded 'L' word more than once or twice in their two months of being a couple. Both being in a field of work where what you did meant life or death, they tended not to think of classifications, or mere words all that much all that much. Starfire knew that if anyone were to ask her how Robin felt about her, she would be able to tell them that he loved her and Robin knew the same.

Starfire forced herself to keep eye contact with him while flinching inwardly. It was in that moment that she knew that he would win this one. She was too tired and too insecure at the moment to continue this argument. The realization was hard for her. With it came the definite knowledge that Robin had significant influence over her, something that she had been denying to herself for a year at the least.

"If I did tell you," she began almost too quietly to hear, "you would understand that I am telling you because you want to know. This is not an easy story for me to tell and I would rather not tell it more than once. If you feel that the others must know then tell them yourself, but do not make me do it more than once," Starfire almost begged. Robin's eyes softened dramatically and he moved so that he was sitting more comfortably alongside Starfire. He reached up and pulled his mask off and laid it beside him before letting Starfire fall more comfortably against him.

"I know, I understand," he murmured, hoping that she understood his reasons for his insistent questioning. He expected that she knew that with one word he would shut up about it. But without knowing why, he had to know all there was to Starfire, no matter how unglamorous she thought it was. It was everything that made her what she was and something told him that it would be better for them if the truth came out sooner rather than later.

Starfire sighed and leaned against him, closing her eyes. Without her sight, the reality of where she existed was even more real. She heard the unwavering hiss of the air in the vents, she felt Robin's chest moving up and down with his breathing. Collecting herself for only a moment, she finally opened her eyes, hoping that she was ready.

"What do you want to know?"

* * *

Ah, the cliff hangers again! I know it's bad but I couldn't resist! Plus I had to stop the chapter somewhere! But don't worry! Apparently, I'm better at managing my time than I thought... So I'll be back!


	6. Chapter 5 ::A Night of AnswersPt2::

AN: sry about the long wait but truthfully, i did not have any time to write.

disclaimer: don't own em. duh.

* * *

Chapter 5 :A Night of Answers(Pt.2):

Raven sighed in exhaustion, finally able to lie in her own bed. It had taken thirty minutes to get Starfire from the forest, two hours for her to wake up, a thirty minute break, and then another hour to find and situate Keenyara, who was incredibly open to sleeping on a couch for someone so arrogant, though the comment that it would not work long term did not serve to decrease the ever increasing amount of questions surrounding the girl.

Personally, Raven accepted Starfire's explanation without question. She of all people understood the need for a certain amount of privacy, and if Starfire preferred her past experiences private then Raven would not ask questions. She also accepted the fact that Robin was like Beastboy in the fact that both were annoyingly stubborn when kept from certain information. She had the feeling that Robin was with Starfire at the moment, pulling the truth out of her, one way or another.

Tiredly, Raven slipped under her slight covers, hardly believing that it was only eleven. She closed her eyes, and was asleep before she could think of anything more.

-!-

Raven looked around her, barely surprised at what she saw. She was standing on nothing, only black space all around. It was as if she was standing in the screen of a television that had been turned off. The surface she stood on was indistinguishable from any walls or sky, if they did exist at all.

"So, someone's found a way to pester me even when I sleep.," she mused quietly, "Why is the world suddenly taking on a Beastboy-like habit?" She hardly suspected an answer, but one came just the same.

"You know when they said that fate was cruel? It really is more of a bittersweet annoyance." The reply had come from a young woman about Raven's height. She was dressed in an elegant lime green dress and plain sandals. She shared the dark chocolate skin that Keenyara had, but looked slightly more cared for and not quite so thin. Her black hair reached a few inches past her shoulders and was separated into what looked like hundreds of tiny braids. Her dark green eyes looked nervous as she watched Raven.

Raven 'hmph'ed and looked the girl up and down. "Who are you?" The girl crossed her arms and sighed deeply.

"Aara. I'm Aara. But we're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about your new houseguest. Please tell me she's behaving herself." Aara looked at Raven, looking worried. Raven narrowed her eyes.

"I understand that the two of you come from a different dimension, so let's just say that her manners aren't quite up to par here. In fact there are a certain few people around here who would use some very unflattering words to describe her." Raven paused and crossed her arms over her chest, looking faintly irritated. "You mentioned _minor_ annoyances?" Aara seemed taken aback and stepped forward, also narrowing her eyes.

"I don't think you're being fair!" she exclaimed, "Keenyara can be a little arrogant sometimes, and I know she puts things bluntly, and yeah, she doesn't think before she says anything, but… she…" she trailed off, awkwardly and looked at Raven whose skeptical gaze could not have been more disbelieving. "God, damnit she's a bitch…" she mumbled, burying her face in her hands. "She's a bitch, and everyone who knows her knows she's a bitch. Even _she_ knows she's a bitch." Pushing one of her braids behind her ear, she looked up at Raven, looking almost a weary as Raven felt. "It's just one of those passing traits you have to overlook."

Raven arched an eyebrow. "Uh huh. And next you'll tell me that when you get to know her she's a sweet and caring person and her hard exterior is just an act she uses to keep herself from getting hurt. Excuse me, but where I come from, that's called cliché."

Aara dropped to sit cross legged on the floor. "Actually, when you get to know her, you find that she's even more of a bitch than you originally thought," she muttered lowly. "I doubt that she would put up an act for anyone, including herself. She's never found it worth the effort to try to say anything to please people, and if there is only one thing true about Keenyara, it's that she doesn't do anything that isn't worth it." She looked up at Raven. "Please, sit," she said, waving a hand at the barely-there floor. Raven did.

"Keenyara was born a slave, which is why she's so smart, but she escaped when she was twelve, when she finished her training, using her power. You have to understand that she made herself everything that she is now, which is quite a lot. Of the five of us, she was the strongest, as much as I don't want her to know that. Not only that, but all of her skills are self taught, which means that she will never forget how to do what she does. For all of her bragging she's pretty true to reality."

Raven blinked, trying to work out more than one of the facts she had just heard. Hating her own curiosity, she picked the most impersonal question. "Why are you telling me this?" she finally asked slowly. Aara sighed and leaned back on her hands.

"Because Keenyara was sent to your dimension for a reason, though I'm not sure how much of that reason I can tell you. You and your other female friend are crucial to a major battle coming up, and Keenyara's job is to make sure that nothing happens to you two in the meantime. She has an attitude problem, I'll admit, but you're stuck with her, or rather she's stuck with you." Her drained frown suddenly split into a wide grin. "Luckily, you've got a certain amount of power over her." Raven's interest prickled some, though she refrained from showing it.

"You know, if the universe would stop speaking to me in riddles I would really appreciate it. Maybe you'd like to start the trend." Aara rolled her eyes.

"If you two don't get along then you'll kill each other, I swear," she muttered crossly. "Keenyara was assigned to you unwillingly, so there is a bit of safeguard on her. She's bound to you and the other one. All you need is a direct order and she has to obey it."

Raven crossed her arms, unconvinced. "How direct?" Aara tilted her head.

"Say her name; state the command, that kind of direct— being specific helps too," she said thoughtfully. "If she can find a way around it, trust me, she will. And I'd stay away from things like, 'Tell me this' or 'believe that.' If you do, there's most definitely going to be a backlash like hell."

Raven nodded, knowing about such things from her many books. "Anything else I should know? Should I expect you to be dropping by in the physical world anytime soon?" she asked, standing slowly. Aara laughed.

"Ah, well, you'll see me again one day, but no where in the near future. I should be dropping by in a decade or two. Don't back down off of Keenyara. She's like an abused dog. Right now, she'll snap at anything, but once you wear her down… well you won't get bitten as much."

The words seemed to be the end of their little chat and Aara was gone just as instantly as she had come. Raven had time to reflect on what the next few decades could hold for them all, before she faded to herself and returned to true sleep once more.

-!-

"What do you want to know?"

"I want to know about the past you left out in the common room today. Why were you out in space at all? Who was K'trina?"

Robin held Starfire around her waist while she leaned against him comfortably. Although, she had tried to ready herself for whatever questions Robin would ask, Starfire still felt herself no where near as at ease as she would have been had they been talking about _anything_ else.

Starfire took a silent breath and plunged into her story. "I and my brother Ryand'r, or Bluefire, were both born on the same night. I was born a few minutes before him. For a while, everything was normal. We learned to walk and talk and run and laugh. We played with Blackfire and were each given knorfkas to see to our well being. Until I was four, I was a normal little girl, albeit a little spoiled," she added with a faint blush. Robin cocked his head to one side.

It was a little hard for him to think of Starfire as a toddler wanting her way in everything and most often getting it. Starfire was usually so willing to give up things for others. He tried imagining her having a temper tantrum and found that he just could not do it. He gave up for the moment and listened to her explanation.

"Then, a few months after I became four, something important happened. It was all very official and I took no notice of it really, except to know that someone had been keeping information from my father and mother, the Grand Ruler and Queen of Tamaran, and one of the first things that had been taught to me as a child was that you always tell the Grand Ruler _everything_. Keeping secrets was not tolerated.

"What ever did happen, it changed everything for my brother, sister, and I. For some reason we ceased to be children and instead became weapons and powers to be trained and refined. Our entire lives were being planned out. Entire plots to conquer _empires_ hinged on us and our skills. We began to train everyday in every subject. Everything was a lesson. Playtime was for practicing cleverness and tactics. Even during meals we were expected to be learning the manners we would have to exhibit once we 'defeated the evil and ruled all that was.'

"The new expectations we were bound to were hard enough, but we soon enough found that it got even more complicated. Both my mother and my father wanted control of us, wanted the knowledge that they would have all of the power that we would have. Their dispute became a fight that almost destroyed the castle we lived in. For days we took shelter in various rooms of the palace, hoping that they would not kill one of us by accident.

"And then, one day it was over. The fight came into the great room where we were and," Starfire shook her head, dismayed, "she killed him. She had been known throughout the galaxy for not only her beauty, but her seductions and charms. What she was not famous for was her skill and grace when fighting." Starfire looked up, meeting Robin's eyes for the first time. "She is deadly. She has always been deadly. And what makes her deadly is the fact that only she knew of her skill.

"She then turned to us. We had been hiding with Galifore, Blackfire and Bluefire's knorfkas having gone to find help. She attempted to take us from Galifore. You may have noticed the scar along his right eye. I am quite sure that that is a scar from that battle, but he refuses to tell me. She did not kill him only because we begged her to spare him. We went with her willingly in exchange for his life. She must have planned it out for some months because there was a ship belonging to Psions waiting for us at the edge of the atmosphere. It was there that we spent the next years of our lives. Once we were on the ship, she changed our names. She decided that I was to be K'trina, Power for Destruction."

Starfire silently waited for Robin's reaction. She was surprised at her own reaction. While she had expected tears, or at least depression to come to her with the retelling of her story, what she felt was actually a bit of release. She had never spoken the story out loud to anyone. Somehow, she wondered if it brought her closer to Robin.

Robin was more speechless than anything else. "I'm sorry," he finally blurted out, feeling his cheeks flare. "About your father," he quickly added. Starfire shook her head wistfully.

"It hurt to watch him die, but," she paused guiltily, "I believe I would have been much more devastated if it had been Galifore or my sister or brother. It was one of the reasons royal children were given knorfkas. A king and queen were much too busy running the planet or making sure that their children will marry well. I hardly knew him." She looked up at him again. "You still have questions." Robin had not expected it to be a question.

"What was that vision thing that we saw?" Robin asked. He remembered the girl he had seen, fighting so hard. He remembered her hair. He remembered her eyes. "That girl… that was you, wasn't it?"

"Yes, that was me. Me when I was younger," she paused thoughtfully, "I was not as I am now." Robin nodded, but kept quiet, not wanting her to have to stop for him. "After they found that their experiment was a success, they began to see the value and genius of it." Starfire smiled ruefully. "The perfect soldier. A built in cannon is easy to carry around and hard to detect.

"Once they saw the usefulness of it, they began changing Blackfire, and then my brother, Bluefire. That was when they found that most males did not take to the change the way females did." Starfire noticed the pain welling up inside her. She had been beginning to think that she may have been over the pain, but she found the truth now. "He did not die," she said, more to console herself than for Robin's benefit. "But, unlike my sister and I, the pain did not stop after the machine was turned off. The fire continued to burn him and it drove him mad after only two years. He was still only a child." Starfire tried to push forward with her story, hoping that it would drive the vision of her only twin out of her mind. Her stomach clenched.

"When they finished with us they began kidnapping young girls from all over the galaxy. They only took girls, both because they did not know if males would have a reaction similar to my brother's, and believing that a woman would be even less suspicious than a man. I am also sure that their preference of gender had something to do with a pact that my mother made with them. A deadly disease long ago killed all but a few of the females on the Psion planet and the species was sure to die out if there was not a large supply of females to be given to them soon. So my mother devised a plan."

Starfire looked up and Robin and debated just how far into her own musings she should go. She thought carefully about her next words. "You see, Robin, my mother is not stupid in any sense of the word. She is not like any other females, she does not think with her heart or with her emotions. I do not think that her battle was one she just fell into in a moment of rage. She had been planning it and our kidnapping for some years, and therefore she was in control from the beginning. From the way she interacted with the Psions I think that she had been in contact with them for longer than anyone really knows. So you see, she knew all of the problems and how they each should be resolved.

"She knew that she would be a hunted woman as soon as she turned on Tamaran, so she hid with the Psions, a species said to have died out. She knew that the Psions never did anything without payment, so she brought us, 'chosen ones with immeasurable power'. She knew that she would never be able to take Tamaran without an army, and that she could not have a surviving army with only a group of males or with only a group of females. So she went to the Psions' king and created the_ 'sport'_ of _Kaie_.

"The rules were simple. Twelve men divided into teams of four would fight each other for a girl. The team that wins wins that girl for one night. The man who actually captured her, the one who drove the knife into her, he wins her completely. He must allow his teammates use of her for that on night, but after that she belongs to him and him only. Any daughters that she would have would either be born with the starbolts or would have them 'given' to her. Any sons would become soldiers or generals or something of the sort. You understand Robin, she was literally, breeding an army.

"What you saw was a memory of my own _Kaie_. As I told you once, I could not afford to lose that battle, but it is not a competition between the girl and the men. The game was not designed to allow a victory for me. I could not afford failure, but failure was inevitable."

Starfire winced suddenly, brought out of her quiet remembrance by Robin's vice-like grip on her hand. She looked up at him inquiringly, only to see him with his eyes shut tightly and his mouth was pressed into a thin line. His face was white like a sheet and he breathed slowly and gruffly. Starfire could almost taste his fury, his fear, his disbelief. Her eyes were wide with wonder. She was in awe at the amount of emotion he felt _for_ her. She was not sure what to say to him, whether to be flattered or saddened, so she blurted out the first thing she could form in her mind.

"That hurts," she muttered, her eyes stuck to their entwined hands, her fingers quickly turning purple. Robin did not move, seeming not to hear her. Gently, she began to pull at his fingers, hoping to relieve the pressure, but only succeeding in awaking him from his own mind. He grabbed her chin, the movement no where near his usual gentleness, and locked his gaze with hers. His eyes were bright with fury.

"They didn't do that to you," he stated, his voice harsh and clear. Starfire was astonished once again. "Tell me that they didn't do that to you." Starfire closed her eyes briefly, trying to protect herself from the memories, but Robin's hand tightened considerably, causing them to fly open once more. "Don't— please don't. Look at me. Tell me," Robin said his voice softer.

Starfire smoothed her knuckles against his cheek consolingly. "I— they— they came close. They came so close. But I did not let them. You saw what happened tonight in the clearing, the starfire that came from me and bent to my will. It happened then, for the first time. I was not in control of myself. The entire ship was destroyed and my sister and brother escaped. But I was too weak."

Robin's grip on her relaxed and his eyes slid closed in relief.

"Eventually, a household ship belonging to a group of Gordanians picked me up. They had seen what had happened and found the power I possessed _pretty_," she uttered, disgust evident in her voice. "I was so badly hurt and so weak that I could not escape. They put me to work as a performer. Every night I was to unleash the power once again. After doing this for such a long time, I learned to manipulate the fire, creating patterns and things. As long as my performance was satisfying, I was not harmed very much." Starfire saw Robin perk up, noticing her careful wording. She took his hand in both of hers, looking at him intently.

"But I am alive, Robin," she said, before kissing him lightly. Her eyes pleaded with him to forget his anger at her past foes. "I have lived through it. And how agreeable do you think I would be had I been left on Tamaran and spoiled as they wanted to spoil me," she added trying to smile for him. It struck her as odd that she was now trying her hardest to keep him calm, while in the beginning it was reversed. She let the thought go. "Please, please, don't do this to yourself. I have… learned to deal with it," she murmured, looking away again.

Robin frowned and pulled her face toward him. He kissed her gently and pulled her against him. When he pulled back, he looked at her intensely.

"That doesn't make it right. That doesn't make it fair." He slid his hands around her waist. "You didn't deserve it," he whispered.

Starfire smiled wryly, hugging him close, her mind calming a bit with the comfort of his embrace. "We never want to believe we deserve it."


	7. Chapter 6 ::Bonding Time::

AN: hey peeps. I've got the new chapter. I got this one done a lot earlier than I thought I would. IT'S THE END OF THE FIRST NINE WEEKS!

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Chapter 6: Bonding Time:

"God, do you people even know what you're doing?" Keenyara exclaimed before she tilted her head back and let out an exasperated sigh. Beastboy slowly peeled himself from the wall that he had so enthusiastically run into. He had been aiming for Keenyara, but she refused to stand still, much to his dismay.

"You suck," she said, looking at him from the corner of her eye, "just like the hybrid. At least the Duke of Colors over there can _move_. What have you been doing?"

Robin ground his teeth together in an effort to keep his temper. He was not sure what made him angrier, the fact that neither Beastboy, nor Cyborg, could defeat her, or that the reason they could not defeat her was because she was _good_.

"Keenyara, we all have been introduced to each other and we are quite happy to call you by your name. Perhaps then, you could honor us by calling us by ours," Starfire said courteously as she struggled to hide her amused grin. Robin was in awe at her diplomacy in such a situation. Keenyara just did not seem to be getting to her the way she got to… everyone else.

Keenyara considered this briefly and was about to answer when Cyborg's raucous laughter interrupted her. "'Duke of Colors'? I should have gotten that one on tape!" he exclaimed from the floor, where he was reattaching his left leg. Keenyara smirked a smirk of approval and stretched lazily.

"What now? Is it _Bluebird_'s turn? Or am I finally gonna— ha!" This time she interrupted herself with a triumphant shout. She dropped down into a controlled fall, adding an unnecessary twist on the way down so that she finished lounging on the gym floor with her hands behind her head. Beastboy hurtled through the space where she had been in the form of a large green wolf.

"Ugh, come on _Beastboy_. Wouldn't that have been an unsportsmanlike shot?" She rolled her eyes. "You people are so lame," she snickered, laughing at the absurdity of it all.

Really, it was not that she was so much better than the two male titans. More, it was that the style of fighting that she was using focused more on agility and speed. Beastboy and Cyborg used more brute strength than anything else, Cyborg with his mechanical muscles and Beastboy with his larger animal forms. Truly, she would have a harder time fighting against the girls' long range fighting styles and Robin matched her blow for blow.

Keenyara thought it was more fun to bait Robin than to point that out.

Robin slapped his hand over his face as Beastboy slid past the doors into the gym. He was in the act of wishing for something to put the arrogant girl back in her place when the doors slid open to reveal the only Titan who refused to attend Keenyara's training session.

Raven raised an eyebrow silently as Beastboy finally managed to come to a complete stop and become humanoid once more. Her eyes then slid to Keenyara who was regarding her from her spot on the floor. She rolled her eyes.

"Get up," she said to Keenyara as she moved where Beastboy had been and stood calmly. Keenyara contemplated ignoring her or saying something biting, but instead decided to humor her.

"You're up next? Hmm, okay. You first," she said gracefully rising to her feet and dusting herself off. Raven crossed her arms.

"No. I have a point to make. Attack." Raven was still impassive. Keenyara narrowed her eyes, sensing a trick, but again decided to be gracious for the moment.

Picking up her staff, she sprinted toward the impassive Raven, full force. Raven did not seem to be readying herself in the least and only gazed at Keenyara blankly.

Suddenly though, a black glow flashed in her eyes and she smirked, feeling the boost of power. "Keenyara, sit," she commanded simply.

Keenyara's eyes went wide as her muscles jerked involuntarily backward and her backside hit the floor. She did not, however, waste time gawking before she was up again and running.

Raven looked surprised at the time frame it took for the 'spell' to wear off. She dodged one first one and then another swipe toward her before launching into the air. She was surprised to find that Keenyara was following her, not by flying, but by a series of flips and rebounds against what she could only imagine were powerful gusts of wind. Her eyes flashed again.

"Keenyara, sit and remain seated until told otherwise." The irate teen plummeted downward and hit the ground with a groan. This time she did not get up no matter how much she struggled. She cried out in frustration as Raven touched down onto the floor. The Titans were watching in shocked awe.

"Ah, you damned _witch_! What did you do to me?" Keenyara growled as a brisk wind began to pick up in the room.

"It's a safeguarding enchantment they put on you since you're here involuntarily. A kind of obedience spell. Apparently, you are going to have to obey a direct order from one of us. Oh, and Aara says 'hi.'"

Keenyara's eyes went wide before she covered her face with both of her hands. "Fucking hell!" she shouted as she moved her hands. "That damned—"

"Hey chick, what is with you and that mouth of yours? Didn't you live alone? You swear like a sailor or something!" Cyborg exclaimed, frowning.

"Shut up, Cyborg," Beastboy cackled as he darted into and out of Keenyara's reach. "We've got unbound powers at our fingertips here and you're going into a lecture on manners? Dude, when does your _husband_ come home?" Keenyara glared at him, provoked by his taunting, and then whipped around to stare at Raven. Raven nodded graciously.

"Do as you wish," she said, shrugging. Keenyara was up in record time and stalking toward Beastboy. Beastboy just laughed again.

"Okay, are you dumb or something? I can stop you in your tracks at any moment I please!" he crowed. Keenyara grabbed her staff from the floor as her eyes seemed to throb faster and the wind began to pick up speed.

"Try me," she hissed, breaking into a dead run. Beastboy smirked and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Keenyara, don't move." Beastboy was somehow the only one surprised when he hit the opposite wall with such force. Keenyara was pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. The air stilled gradually until quiet reigned in the large room.

"Oh yeah, I thought you knew, it only works for Starfire and I. I thought that would be kind of implied." Raven said, looking over her shoulder to where Beastboy had decided to stay down. "Sorry," she said. She turned back to find Keenyara staring at her.

"When did you talk to Aara?" she asked. Raven faced the stare unflinchingly.

"Last night. It was one of those lucid dreaming things. Why?"

Keenyara tilted her head curiously. "What did she tell you?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Stuff about where you came from and why you're so socially inept."

Keenyara snorted and retrieved the cloth she used to keep her staff secured. "You idiot, I could have told you all of that." Raven glowered at her back as Keenyara motioned toward Cyborg. "You, Cyborg, come fix something to eat before stupid over there wakes up and tries to shove a tree down my throat." Cyborg was up quickly and engaging Keenyara in a conversation about Beastboy and his ludicrous food choices as the two headed toward the kitchen. Robin rested his head against Starfire's shoulder and groaned quietly. Starfire giggled and tugged on his hair playfully.

"I do not think she is so bad," she said while Robin and Raven stared at her incredulously. She just giggled back at them and moved to help Beastboy up.

"Sure, like a paper cut," Robin muttered.

Raven snorted. "Or a power drill drilling into your scull." Beastboy rubbed his head and glared toward Raven.

"Or maybe like running into a wall over and over again. Thanks, Rae," he snarled, his voice dripping sarcasm. Raven crossed her arms across her chest.

"It was a momentary memory lapse. On the upside, now Cyborg and Keenyara can make some real food in peace." Beastboy's eyes went wide. Raven raised her hand to her mouth in mock surprise. "Oh my, did I just say that out loud? Well, you better leave _quietly_ to stop them."

"Cyborg! Put that garbage down! It's my turn to cook lunch! CYBORG!" Raven winced as Beastboy sprinted out of the gym shouting.

"Somehow he never hears the words having to do with silence," she muttered heading out of the room and to lunch. Starfire looked at Robin who shrugged and grabbed her hand, leading her the way everyone else had gone.

The two had fallen asleep not long after their talk. Robin had remained with her for the entire night while Starfire slept quietly. Both had underestimated the extent of her exhaustion. She woke much later than was her normal. Robin had been up for a few hours, enough to introduce each of the Titans to Keenyara formally and to be called about three different species of bird, none of which had anything similar to a robin.

"Excuse me, _Mockingbird_, but could you get your brave soldier to fix his own lunch and _leave ours alone_!" Robin's fists clenched as Cyborg grabbed Beastboy by the back of his collar.

"Get you dirty green paws off of the hamburgers!" he shouted. Keenyara was tapping her staff impatiently against the kitchen island.

The noise level was ascending rapidly with Cyborg's and Beastboy's normal argument which Keenyara seemed happy to join. Cyborg was elated to have someone else that was just as scandalized with Beastboy's die-hard vegetarianism.

Robin kneaded his forehead agitatedly. "Hey!" He shouted finally. All motion and arguments stopped and all eyes came on him. "Shut. Up. Beastboy let them have their food and get your own. You two have this dumb argument every single day. You should have worked it out by now! And I would thank _you_ to not instigate," he snarled at Keenyara. The youth simply turned her attention back to Cyborg who was teaching her how to cook on the stove, though not before giving Robin a good view of her middle finger over her shoulder. Robin's eyes went wide with shock before going narrow. He started around the island toward her, cursing angrily.

Starfire quickly grabbed his arm. Raven turned away and tried to hide her smile. Beastboy was cracking up, watching Starfire struggle to keep Robin next to her. Cyborg shook his head and flipped a burger expertly. "Shortie, I think you're gonna fit in alright," he mused, grinning.

The light atmosphere was interrupted by an authoritative sounding beep coming from the large computer. Starfire went toward it after making sure that Robin was in control of himself. She pressed a few keys on the keyboard before her and the black screen was replaced with Galifore's huge face, looking worried. Starfire looked up at him, confused.

"Galifore?" she said, rising from the floor to be eye level with his image. His face immediately melted into relief upon seeing her unharmed, but he still looked agitated. Robin turned and watched.

"Princess Starfire, I am so glad to find you unharmed!" he exclaimed. Starfire tilted her head.

"Why would I not be fine? What is wrong?" Galifore's eyes darted from Starfire to the rest of her team behind her band back again. Starfire's eyes widened as he began to speak rapid Tamaranian.

"_I have been attempting to contact you through your private communicator for days now, but it seems to have been offline. I have even tried on this one once already! I was afraid for you," _he admonished. Starfire looked off to the side.

"_I apologize. I knew that you tried to contact me through the main computer, but I became…distracted," _she answered, trying to avoid the truth.

Galifore looked suspicious._ "Distracted by what exactly?" _he asked. Starfire looked at the scar over his eye.

"_Luand'r." _

Galifore's fists clenched. _"Princess, I was hoping I could warn you before they found you. Please, you friends are well?" _He peered behind her and toward her friends, looking for any visible injuries there. Only Robin looked back, while the others continued with their mealtime rituals.

"_They are undamaged. I would not let them into a fight with her, but she has revealed me and my past. Robin at least, knows everything." _Galifore looked surprised and looked at Robin, who quickly tried to look like he was not listening. Starfire had not even told _him_ everything about her absence from Tamaran. It was years after her kidnapping before a transmission was sent to him with her face on it. He almost did not recognize her as the toddler he used to care for.

"_I see,"_ he remarked carefully. _"I… am not sure how to tell you this." _

Starfire started. _"What are you talking about?" _she asked carefully.

"_Princess, the Psions have returned." _

Starfire dropped from the air in her shock. _"What? When? What do they want from us_?" she asked, without giving Galifore time to respond.

"_About a '_week'_ ago. They have not declared war, but they claim that we are harboring an escaped servant and one of their soldier's wife. Do you know what they speak of?" _Starfire paled.

"_They want Blackfire and I," _she whispered angrily. Now it was Galifore's turn to pale.

"_You and Blackfire are not wed! You are both untouched! They did not marry either of you!" _he exclaimed, slightly hysterical. Starfire held her hands before her.

"_Please, calm yourself Galifore. We are not married by our standards and neither of us has been…violated," _she detailed uncomfortably. Galifore seemed comforted to a point, but still was not his normal good natured self.

"_That will have to be elaborated on at a later time. But I am sorry to say that our people feel that you would know them best. _Rik_ has taken a vote and they want both you and your sister for the negotiations. It is imperative that I request your presence back on Tamaran quite soon." Rik _on Tamaran was a kind of watered down Parliament. It had started out as a group of advisors to the Grand Ruler, but eventually became a very powerful group in Tamaranian politics. They took care of the things that the Grand Ruler refused to be bothered with, such as choosing sufficient knorfkas, setting taxes, attending to the current king or queen, and always advising the Grand Ruler. While the Grand Ruler remained the absolute ruler and power, most took the advice given to them by Rik seriously and after the royal family, members of Rik were most powerful.

Starfire bowed her head obediently. _"Yes, Emperor Galifore. I will come as soon as I am able. It may be a day or two, but I will come." _She secretly had no idea how that would work out with the Teen Titans, but she tried not to let it show. They had understood so far. She hoped that it would continue.

"Good day, Princess. Good day, Titans." The transmission cut quickly and Starfire touched down on the floor. Robin was looking at her strangely while the rest of the group sat and ate hamburgers, or tofu hamburgers in Beastboy's case.

"When are you going to leave?" Robin asked somberly. Those eating looked up in surprise at the question. Starfire was surprised too.

"Wha- how did you know that?" she stuttered, caught off guard. She knew for a fact that her conversation with Galifore had been complete Tamaranian. Neither of them had slipped. Robin gave her a strange look in return.

"You two weren't whispering or anything. I couldn't help but overhear," he answered shrugging.

"That's exactly what happened last night. It's like Robin knows Tamaranian, but he doesn't know how he knows. I don't even think he knows he knows!" Beastboy piped up, chewed up tofu falling out of his mouth, much to Raven and Keenyara's disgust.

"I think it goes chew then _swallow_," Keenyara declared, looking at the pre-chewed bits. "There's usually not a conversation between the two." She looked over at Raven. "Right, you highness?"

Starfire took no notice of the impending argument. She tilted her head and moved closer to Robin. _"You understood what I said to Luand'r last night?"_ she asked in Tamaranian. She expected a blank look more than an answer, but she got the latter.

"Yeah, but you weren't speaking Tamaranian last night, were you?" Robin asked casually. He didn't really believe that Starfire had been speaking Tamaranian. More likely it was one of Beastboy's jokes that he refused to let go. Starfire eyes got wide.

"_Our… the argument that we had was in Tamaranian, Robin, as was my conversation with Galifore." _Starfire moved forward again and peered at Robin strangely._ "As is what I am saying now." _

Robin's eyes went wide. Once it had been pointed out to him, he could hear a slight accent in the words she said.

"What? How? I mean, it's not like I can _speak_ Tamaranian or anything!" he exclaimed, perplexed. "Why would I be able to understand it?" Starfire tilted her head.

"I am not sure I would expect you to," she answered. She blushed suddenly. "However, I do have a few theories, now that I think of it," she stuttered. Robin arched an eyebrow at her sudden shyness. The table behind them was still relatively quiet.

"Well?" Cyborg prompted, his mouth also full. "Lay 'em on us!" The table was silent, all of them sensing Starfire's discomfort. They all waited anxiously for her answer. Starfire went even redder.

"Oh, well, it hardly matters at the moment, agreed?" she said in what she hoped was an offhand way. "What does matter is that I am being summoned back to Tamaran, as Robin has noticed." She turned to Robin. "I need to leave soon," she said, trying to be calm and rational about it. She remembered the way it was when she had been summoned back for her marriage. They had come with her. She had wanted anything but then. She had been horribly afraid of marrying someone that was not, in a word, Robin. Now, no matter how much she berated herself about it, she hoped feebly that they would come with her again.

"Why do you have to go back anyway? I thought you told them that you didn't want to be their queen," Beastboy said loudly. He stood from the table and stretched, leaving his dirty plate behind. Keenyara shot a sideways look at Raven who only shook her head slowly. Keenyara shrugged and sat back. No one seemed to notice the interaction but them.

"I did decline the throne, yes, but I am still princess. Technically, I only said that I did not want the throne at that time. With Blackfire banished I would become Grand Ruler, should Galifore become unable to rule," Starfire answered, sitting on a stool at the counter and resting her head in her hand. Cyborg too left his seat, heading toward his beloved GameStation. Again, Keenyara gave Raven a look. Raven lifted a single finger in a 'wait' gesture. Keenyara faced forward again and crossed her arms, blowing hair from her face. Some of her hair was apparently too short to stay in place in her braid and she was forever pushing hair out of her eyes or unbraiding and re-braiding her hair.

"So when do you think we should leave?" Cyborg asked, settling on the couch with the good controller, delighted that he had gotten it before Beastboy. Raven stood and slid from the table, motioning for Keenyara to do the same. Keenyara did so with an exasperated sigh. Starfire looked at him, taken aback.

"'We'?" she questioned. Robin also looked at him while Beastboy sullenly grabbed the only other controller and plugged it in. Cyborg looked at her over the back of the couch while he waited for Beastboy to key in.

"Well yeah. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but the last visit we took to Tamaran didn't give me a chance to check things out all the way. I mean, did you see all of those lamps? I did not see one single wall outlet either!" he elaborated. Robin inspected him closely as he said this, wondering if that was his real reason. Robin knew what it was like to be protective of Starfire. One usually wanted to be as discreet as possible.

"If Cyborg's going then I'm going. I refuse to be left here with Raven and Robin! They both have an unhealthy habit of wanting to hit me in the head as much as possible. And between you and me, I'm thinking that Keenya over there is evil," Beastboy added, sneaking a look at Keenyara. Keenyara scowled and gestured strongly toward the ceiling and then toward Beastboy. A left over hamburger jerked into the air on the strong stream of wind, flying to smack against the back of Beastboy's head.

"Watch it, you stupid green bean, before I blow something heavier and sharper in your general direction," she snapped as Beastboy glared back. Beastboy stuck his tongue out at her as Cyborg fell over laughing. Robin smirked, wondering if he could overlook his dislike of the girl if only he could enjoy moments like these. He held up two fingers.

"Well that makes two of the team that's going with Star. Raven? Are you going to sign up with everyone else?" he asked, looking back at her. She was busily trying to hide her smile as Beastboy frantically wiped the cooked meat from himself. She looked up.

"I better go if Beastboy's going. Knowing him, he'll probably hit on one of Star's relatives and end up on death row." Robin turned back to Starfire.

"Well with the entire team on a different planet, I won't be much use here. I guess you can count me in. I don't know what we're going to do about Keenyara, though," he wondered. Keenyara planted one hand on her hip, biting the inside of her cheek to keep more than one statement from leaving her lips.

"Silly _duck_, I go where those two go. Do we need to have another talk?" she allowed herself to say. Robin scowled and ignored her, not wanting to humor her with a response. He was starting to see that she normally had the last word, a fact that was beginning to irritate him. Starfire interrupted his dark musings.

"This means that you all intend to accompany me back to Tamaran?" she asked lightly. In actuality, she was feeling anything but. Robin nodded. She took Robin's hand in hers gratefully. "Well then, I believe that we should pack. I would like to leave soon, if that is fine with everyone else," she said, before kissing Robin's cheek. She stood and retreated toward her room. Keenyara looked at Raven expectantly. Raven nodded and chanted.

"Azarath Metrion Zenthos," she said mechanically, and stepped back as Cyborg and Beastboy both dropped from two portals onto the floor. Raven fixed them with an icy glare. "It's your turn for dish duty. I covered for both of you at least once, so you can pay me back together. Get to work." Keenyara smiled at Raven.

"Very handy. I approve." Raven rolled her eyes, though a tiny, barely there smile peeked through.

"Thanks. Now that my life's wish has been fulfilled—"

"No one likes a smartass," Keenyara snapped suddenly, though she too bore a small sign of amusement. The two continued to snap at each other quietly as they headed toward the couch and Keenyara grabbed the remote and inspected it briefly. She pushed a few buttons experimentally before she found the ones that changed channels and occupied herself with soaking up some pop culture.

Her learning was disrupted as the television began another long sequence of beeps before it cut to yet another transmission. Keenyara 'humph'ed and crossed her arms grumpily as a tall man clad in black and grey appeared on the screen. A black mask covered the top portion of his face and ended in two pointed ears. A gold belt was looped around his waist and a black bat could be seen on his chest.

Batman.

Keenyara looked him up and down a moment. He looked back at her. A single eyebrow raised and a condescending smirk formed on her lips.

"Aren't you a little old to play dress up?" she asked loudly, knowing that he would hear her from the way Starfire had interacted with the earlier one. She watched his reaction carefully, secretly approving his control. He only looked back at her skeptically, seemingly unaffected by her rude comment.

"Cute," he commented, somehow looking just as patronizing as she, even without the easy access to his eyes. "  
Tell me, is there someone… better around I can talk to?" Keenyara only smirked wider.

"You remind me of someone, somehow. Let me see… ridiculous costume, don't touch me attitude, strange fixation with masks… of course! Hey, Bluejay, you've got a message," she called over her shoulder before hopping over the back of the couch and heading off to somewhere in the Tower. Being as anti-social as she was, she did not invite anyone to go with her and left without another word. Robin kneaded his forehead again and stepped into the monitor's line of view.

"Batman," he greeted unceremoniously.

"Robin. I see you've got a new member. She's you people person, right?" Robin groaned quietly.

"Not funny. What do you want? I assume it's an emergency if you actually sent a live transmission." _'Though the site of Keenyara talking to a recording would do me some good,'_ he added mentally. Batman nodded.

"Yes. There has been some strange activity going around in your area. I was wondering if you could clarify some of it," he remarked back. Robin crossed his arms.

"I don't know. We're going on a road trip and we're leaving soon. Starfire has some business back on Tamaran. We're leaving as soon as we can get the Titans East to cover for us," he said, gaining a kind of pleasure from denying the legendary Batman.

"I'll tell you what. We've got some new recruits coming in who are claiming that they'll drop dead any minute unless they get a 'serious' assignment. Why don't you stop in the watchtower before you head out and let them city-sit for you while you're gone? We've heard about the situation on Tamaran. We need a conversation with your resident princess too." Batman crossed his arms.

Robin's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He would much prefer to have nothing to do with the watchtower or the Justice League, but he did not have a good enough reason to refuse. If the Dark Knight noticed Robin's apprehension at the prospect, he did not show it. Robin took a deep breath.

"Fine," Robin muttered. "We'll be there."


	8. Chapter 7 ::Welcome Back::

OH MY GOD!! It feel s like I dropped off of the face of the Earth even to me! I've just been really swamped with all of the work my teachers are giving me. You guys are just going to have to bare with me for a while here...

DISCLAIMER: So tired... can't be witty... you know what it means...

Chapter 7 :Welcome Back:

"So you called us here because of a disturbance in Earth's wind currents?"

"Yes."

"And because all of your element benders are at least a little weaker, and some of the wind ones can't do squat?"

"The fire manipulators are getting it too." Robin arched an eyebrow skeptically under his mask. Most of the team was, in the case of Raven and Keenyara, regarding the view of Earth stoically, or, in terms of Cyborg and Beastboy, gawking and marveling at it as if they had never been off planet before. Starfire had gazed for a moment, but quickly became bored and wandered over to where Robin was conversing with Superman. While she found each and every sunset on Earth to be unique in some way, the inky vacuum of space was far too monotonous for her.

Superman stood taller than she had originally expected. While she had seen pictures of him numerous times and had seen many news feeds of his heroic deeds, they were guilty of making a lot more human that he was in person. The media seemed to wish to paint Superman as an ordinary man with extraordinary powers. In reality, he was an ordinary Kryptonian with ordinary powers, but among men, extraordinary was the word you would use.

On television, Superman was maybe a four or five inches taller than the average man, daunting, it was true, but not an amazing height. He was broad shouldered and muscled, it was true, but his boyish face and baby blue eyes it was easy to discount him as a healthy American boy.

In person, Superman stood taller than any man ever could. He held himself in such a way that he radiated wisdom and power, a general largeness. While his eyes were soft and friendly, the clear blue somehow were sharp enough to show the clever mind within. Superman was not a lightweight.

Starfire found herself much more interested in the problem they were here to solve once she had adjusted herself to Superman's image. Apparently, the at least vaguely reliable wind patterns of Earth had suddenly been thrown off late the night before last. The phenomenon had quickly righted itself, but the effects seemed to be lingering around still.

"How would this situation pertain to us?" Starfire asked politely. Superman turned his attention to her and then down toward the Earth, looming in the distance.

They were standing in a kind of observatory at the very tip of the watchtower. The room was almost a circular hallway with a ceiling to floor window wrapping around it. Superman had invited them there, thinking that they would like the view and nothing more. He had not expected to be prompted about the reasons behind the Justice League's invitation so quickly, but it seemed that Robin was foregoing the small talk.

"The severity of the effect increases and decreases in a pattern that looks like a circle. What ever is happening, it's radiating from Jump City. Seeing as that's your—"

"Superman, it's moved. Look!" A teenage boy had sprinted up behind them and shoved past them rudely. He moved his hands in a complicated looking motion and then pushed them toward Superman. Nothing happened for a moment. "It's the same thing for Jenna and Rod! Nothing!" The youth looked panicked as he repeated the motion over and over.

Suddenly, all four members of the little group were knocked down (though Superman merely stumbled slightly, caught off guard) by what felt like a hurricane strength gust of wind. They all looked up to find Keenyara shaking her head frantically.

"What the hell are you doing over there?" she exclaimed, her staff still in her hand. It had clearly been her who had attacked them. Her eyes throbbed erratically, something that the Titans had come to read as distress. "Damn! I can't leave you idiots alone for two minutes without somebody touching something they shouldn't…" she muttered, though still clearly speaking to them. Superman looked at her, confusion clear in his eyes. Robin, Starfire, and the teenager all stood up. Robin stalked over to Keenyara and snatched her staff from her while she was still ranting.

"Do I need to take this from you until you earn it back? Or do you think you can manage acting your age for a while?" he growled. Keenyara darted a quick jab at his chin without prelude. Surprised, but not lacking in reflex, Robin raised the stolen staff to deflect the blow. Keenyara grabbed it and tapped it against his scull, surprising even herself with her compassion. After all, he was not dead.

"Back off, Gooseman. You have your toys and I have mine," she snapped. Superman, who had been looking on with surprise, quickly separated the quarreling pair, knowing the preludes to teenage super-fights. Both shrugged off his hand, equally roughly.

"Wait a second. I was under the impression that the Teen Titans only had five members. I thought the sixth member was in some kind of accident," Superman remarked. The teenage boy, once again, pushed past Robin, gawking at Keenyara.

"Forget that, you still have your power. You must be at full strength to produce a current that strong! Haven't you felt the blackout?" he questioned. The boy was small and stocky, with a thick neck. He watched Keenyara with wide blue eyes and from under long brown bangs that needed a cut. Keenyara wrinkled her nose.

"I don't like you. Get away from me," she stated, inspecting her staff critically. She sent a glare toward Robin and began to wipe at the center of it with her shirt. Robin stubbornly refused to look at her. Confusion clouded into the boy's eyes and he backed up a few steps, looking stunned. Starfire sighed and stepped forward, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Please, excuse her. She is…" she struggled for a plausible excuse "dealing with a new living arrangement. Very stressful." The boy looked skeptical, but only offered a small 'oh," in response. Raven shook her head.

"Stressed, that's it," she mumbled. "Stop being so useless, Keenyara and tell them why wind manipulators are losing their powers. It is strange seeing as you are above average power. And why fire manipulators of all people are having the same problems." Keenyara smiled sweetly.

"Sorry, boss, but that wasn't the right combination. You're going to have to work a little harder if you want to be a _quality_ slave driver," she said pleasantly. Ever since she had found out about the "Jackass Clause" as she called it, Keenyara had been 'casually' mentioning her enforced enslavement. Raven narrowed her eyes. She could take only so much of Keenyara's relentless mockery.

"Do it of your own free will. We'll even put a sticker on the good behavior when we get home," she retorted, leaning back against the window behind her. Keenyara rolled her eyes.

"Idiot," she murmured before addressing the boy and Superman. "Is that what you people dragged me up here for? You really don't have to bitch about every little thing. I mean, God damn—"

"A point, Keenyara! You started out with a point!" Raven snapped, making Keenyara smirk smugly.

"Maybe I _was_ making a point," she said before turning back to the, by now, thoroughly taken aback Superman and company. "You'll get you power back within a few days. It'll take me a while to adjust my presence, grabby power, you know. I'll tone it down though," she said shrugging. She suddenly smirked. "You idiots were running around here in a panic just because I hadn't watered it down enough? Great job," she complimented dryly.

The short youth crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. Cyborg consulted a clock embedded in his wrist. It seemed to take Keenyara less than five minutes to alienate people enough to get them to dislike her. Less if you started counting from the moment she started talking. "So, you're basically saying that _you_ are powerful enough to _accidentally_ hold hundreds of elementals powerless for _hours_?" the teenager queried skeptically. Keenyara crossed her arms back.

"No. I'm saying that because of my elemental nature and the fact that I'm used to being the only wind elemental on the _planet_, I'm not used to letting wind currents move freely and out of my control. Although," she paused, looking thoughtful, "I probably could if I needed to. It'd be annoying as hell though." Superman stepped forward authoritatively.

"And the fire benders? Why would they be under the same affect if you're a wind manipulator?" he asked, trying to assert his calm authority. Keenyara smirked.

"It's an old grudge. That'll pass too."

The boy still looked disbelieving and tried his hand motion again. Keenyara flinched horribly and her hand was tight around her staff before she stopped herself.

"Ok, but you can't do that anymore! Or at least not until I'm out of range. This isn't about my preference or not. When you do that it _hurts_." She proceeded to rub her temples furiously. While she did that the elevator doors leading up to the main level of the Watch Tower hissed open to reveal two more members of the Justice League.

Batman was first to step out, Keenyara's halfway-to-gleeful smirk appearing instantly. Behind him was a tall African-American man garbed in a green and black body suit. His eyes were an almost-luminous green, set into a stoic expression. Keenyara snickered loudly. Raven's eyes flashed.

"Keenyara, down!" she snapped. Keenyara hit the ground hard in her surprise. She glared back at Raven.

"You're a bitch," she hissed, hauling herself from the floor, but she was quiet afterwards, sulky as the silence was. The second male to appear arched an eyebrow in surprise, which had rapidly become the standard response to such teen behavior. Seeing as most of the members of the Justice League were either adults or eerily mature young adults, they were not very used to witnessing the interaction between multiple juvenile superheroes. It was a sight that they had had to rapidly adjust to once they opened up the organization to the younger generation, along with a vast array minor accidents that seemed to follow teenage fights.

Batman, however, did not seem to want to let it go that easily. He eyed Keenyara's shirt skeptically. "'Sunshine'?" he read, with quiet incredulousness. Keenyara glared back.

"Yes, Muffin?" she replied scathingly. Batman snorted.

Robin stepped forward, deciding that Keenyara's free reign had gone on long enough. He extended a hand to Batman, who took it and shook it, loosely enough.

"Batman, we're here and it seems like we've solved whatever problems you've been having. You can credit Keenyara with it," he said authoritatively. "But only if you have to," he added quietly.

"I heard that," Keenyara decided to mention, leaning casually on her staff, her mood having changed just as quickly as a breeze, strengthening and dying at the most unexpected moments.

"I don't think I've met any of you. I'm John Stewart, or the Green Lantern. I'm sure you all know Batman," the black man said as Batman nodded. Robin gestured to the Teen Titans behind him.

"This is my team, the Teen Titans. That's Beastboy, Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg. Keenyara is staying with us," he said, pointing to each one in turn. John's eyes caught on Starfire.

"We were actually hoping to have a private word with you," he said, indicating Starfire. She looked startled. She had not been in the room when Batman had called for them and Robin had forgotten to mention it to her. She looked toward Robin, not exactly knowing why, but eventually chalking it up to habit. She had always been taught about the military and its rules. No matter the status of their relationship, he would always be her commanding officer.

Robin nodded, not flustered in the least by her questioning gaze. He had at least that much insight into her mind. She nodded graciously and stepped forward, ready to follow. "Okay," she said. John gave her a small smile and turned, leading both her and Batman back towards where they had come. Keenyara began to follow.

John frowned. "Sorry, um, Keenyara. We just need Starfire," he said, with polite authority. Keenyara rolled her eyes at him.

"I assure you, I don't care at all, but I'd rather leave her," she jerked her head back at Raven, "with at least some protection than let you take this one off to who knows where." Raven crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Keenyara, remain here until they get ba—" suddenly, before she could finish her command, Raven twitched as Keenyara had. She blinked a couple of times as the sensation of having been hit in the face began to fade. Keenyara's sneer was infuriatingly superior.

"Oh, _rejected_! It seems that that command directly conflicts with my duty to protect you! It's _clause_ in the Jackass Clause! You people call that _irony_," she taunted. Raven gritted her teeth.

"Just, let her come. She won't get in your way," Robin declared, his eyes rolling toward the ceiling as if to say, _'It had to be on my team.'_ Batman looked at John, silently asking if he had any objections. John shrugged and looked at Starfire. Starfire also shrugged, feeling the strange connection she had been feeling since Keenyara's appearance in the forest. She had a sneaking suspicion that Raven felt it too.

The four of them promptly disappeared into the elevator, leaving the group with a sneer from Keenyara. The boy suddenly made his hand motion once more, grinning upon the sound of Keenyara's vehement cursing as the door slid shut.

* * *

"So, your highness, have a seat."

Starfire blushed furiously. "Oh, please do not. I prefer Starfire much more," she stuttered. John looking surprised shot a look toward Batman. Starfire tilted her head in confusion. "What is it?" she inquired. John shook his head.

"Nothing. It's just that I've never heard of a princess who didn't want to be addressed by her title," he said, taking a seat.

"Or, for that matter, one who would willingly give up her rights to her planet's throne. You are unique, Starfire," Batman added, still standing. Starfire's breath caught as she took her own seat and she wondered just how much of her political history he knew. Her seat was a comfortable black one, one of about ten around a small table. The room they had taken her to was small, intimate, and perfect for the chat between the three of them. Keenyara had seated herself in a chair in a corner. She was still and unblinking, making Starfire wonder if she had gone into a trance of some kind.

"You seem to know very much about me," she said, slowly moving into a diplomat's mind frame. "But, surely you did not call me here to discuss my abdication of the throne," she concluded. John nodded, locking eyes with her.

"You are correct. We are more interested in the present than the past. We've heard about the situation on Tamaran, undoubtedly the reason you are going back there now." Starfire's insides began to freeze and she closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them they were calm and measured. She thought of her answer carefully.

"It is. The Grand Ruler has summoned me back there for talks of compromise," she said. "I am fortunate enough to have friends who wish to accompany me there." She took care to emphasize the word "wish" hoping to let them know that her friends' involvement in this conflict was voluntary. "I plan to send them back should war erupt. I doubt that greatly, however." John raised his eyebrows.

"Why is that?" he questioned.

"The Psions are a familiar to my people and I."

John concealed his surprise at the pithy, yet polite, answer. He found that he had underestimated her. "Of course," he answered before leaning forward. "Starfire, we wish to be quite frank. We also know of the Psions from the few aliens enlisted here. Through you, Earth is directly linked to Tamaran and Tamaran is approaching a global war.

"You must understand our world just accepted the fact of life on other planets a relatively short time ago. A war with another planet would throw the planet off balance. The people wouldn't be able to handle it. As the Justice League it's our duty to protect this planet. You know that don't you?" Starfire nodded, speechless and not quite sure what they were implying.

"We do not know what kind of role you play in negotiation talks, but as a resident of Earth, we are trusting that you keep the planet out of the confrontation between Tamaran and the Psions." Starfire's eyes narrowed slightly. Now she leaned forward.

"I understand this organization's purpose to this world and my own responsibilities to it. I also understand that I am quite young in relation to the amount of power I possess over a planetary army, but I assure you that I am competent. _Our_ planet will be safe." John nodded graciously, disregarding her slightly narrowed eyes. He had known that it was going to be a tense conversation, but necessary. He pushed his chair back from the table and stood. Batman shook his head.

"I guess we're done then," he commented. Starfire also stood.

"Yes, I guess we are. Keenyara?"

Keenyara looked at her with a smirk. "I'm coming," she said, nodding toward the door and indicating that she should go ahead. Starfire nodded and smiled politely toward the two superheroes, her insulted feelings already fading.

"It was a pleasure meeting you both. I hope that we may meet again under less dire circumstances," she declared, smiling. She swept through the exit as Keenyara stood from her seat. She laughed softly under her breath.

"That one just sends shivers down your spine, huh?" She winked at Batman as she passed. "The costume is sickening. It must be terrifying at night."

"Feel free to stay on Tamaran permanently," Batman commented back.

* * *

The Titans were well within view of Tamaran. There had been something of a problem with the seating arrangements on the way there, but it had been quickly resolved, though all parties could not be described as happy about it. Seeing as the T-ship was only built for five, the problem was obvious.

On the way to the Watchtower Raven had been the one to give up her place, instead teleporting directly to the space station, but apparently this could not be done again with the constantly changing coordinates of a planet circling a star. Therefore, Starfire had volunteered her place, claiming that if was better for her to fly outside the ship anyway. "After all," she had said, "Tamaran is on alert. Having me fully visible and outside the ship will most likely make our entrance much easier."

Starfire was no where in sight as the white orb that was Tamaran loomed into view. None of them could describe the sight as comforting, with the pure, featureless surface only marred by gashes of deep red, as if the planet itself was bleeding. Robin had always meant to ask Starfire what caused this illusion, but somehow the question always seemed a little too personal.

A lack of Starfire's presence was also something the Titans had had to get used to. In the airless black of space, it was easy for her to drift away at times. The entire trip she had steadily drifted in and out of their sight, often staying a ways away so that she would not be caught in the propulsion of the ship.

A crackle sounded through the headsets that they all wore as Robin gratefully interrupted one of Beastboy's long and complicated stories. "Alright, team, we're approaching Tamaran. Starfire, can you hear us?" he asked. Only once or twice had Starfire pulled far enough away to lose connection with the T-ship, but it had happened and it had been quite a shock the first time.

In order to stay in touch with them on the way to Tamaran, the Justice League lent them a helmet for Starfire, one that they used often for their members with the ability to travel through space without a suit. The helmet contained air particles, but just enough to vibrate her words to the small microphone. The air was not meant for breathing.

There was a responding crackle before Starfire's faint voice filtered through. "Yes, but barely. I believe that we may be on opposite sides of the planet. I am heading toward you now. Please remain where you are now and I will be there shortly." The transmission cut and Starfire's voice went silent. Robin nodded thoughtfully, running a checklist in his mind.

"Cyborg, are we ready to land?" he barked.

"As soon as we get the landing site coordinates," Cyborg responded, keying some things into the console before him.

"Good, Beastboy, have you—"

"What's that?" Raven interjected, nodding toward the planet where the shape of an advancing star ship was slowly growing. It was the undiluted image of science fiction with its smooth oval shape and gray steel color. A row of spotlights zeroed in on the T-ship as a thin hissing voice intruded on their private communication's link.

"Approaching ship, you will, within ten seconds, follow one of two procedures: one, you will vacate the surrounding space immediately, or two, you will present valid identification and access codes. If these warnings are not followed, you will be attacked at full force. You have ten seconds." The voice proceeded to count down icily.

"Wait, we're friends of Princess Starfire!" Cyborg shouted.

"No, stupid, her name's not Starfire here, it's Cory-something!" Beastboy shrieked back.

"Oh, man!" Cyborg moaned, "Where's Starfire when you need—" Starfire suddenly flew into view, floating in front of the T-ship. "—her," he finished lamely. The ship before them powered down, but Starfire did the opposite, summoning the essence of star to her hands and eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked edgily. There was silence from the ship. "As a direct representative of the Grand Ruler of Tamaran, I demand your identification," she snapped. The Titan's eyes widened at her fierce tone.

"Starfire, what are you doing? Aren't these guys your guard?" Raven asked. Starfire's eyes narrowed angrily.

"That is _not_ a Tamaranian craft," she asserted. Suddenly, the ship fired a high power shot toward them. Starfire threw herself at the T-ship, shoving it out of the way just in time. She felt the heat graze her upper arm as it sailed past. Cyborg had the engines up and at full power in record time as the rest of the Titans (with the exception of Keenyara who had decided that it would be best for everyone if she just refrained from pushing anything.) powered up their individual weapons.

"No!" Starfire shouted at them. "Do not fire back. Head to the castle and inform Galifore of our arrival. I will be there shortly. If anyone stops you, tell them that you are friends of the Princess Koriand'r." Dodging warning shots, Starfire weaved her way closer to the enemy ship.

"Starfire, we aren't leaving you out here alone!" Robin reasoned. Starfire still did not look back.

"Go! Please!" Robin watched her weave through the net of shots, now that two more ships had joined the skirmish. He considered her words and her knowledge in such things. For a moment he said nothing, knowing that Cyborg was waiting for his command. He tore his gaze from Starfire, turning his eyes toward the planet below them.

"Cyborg, to the surface, same coordinates as our last visit," he declared. The ship turned immediately and began to descend. Robin looked back once more to see Starfire floating close to the glass windows of one of the two larger ships, gesturing wildly at herself and the T-ship.

As soon as the ship touched the planet's surface, the Titans were out of their seats and looking into the midday sky. There was no sign of Starfire, but they could neither see anything that looked like laser blasts. Still, the clear sky was no consolation. Keenyara tilted her head toward Robin.

"This is starting to go bad," she murmured. Robin did not look at her. She had slept most of the way there, a fact that probably contributed to her easy mood.

"She should be fine. The shots have stopped at least," Cyborg reasoned. Keenyara shook her head.

"I'm not worried about her. We seem to be having the problem."

"What are you—" Robin stopped, mid-sentence, as he caught sight of the immense blade in his face.

"_Who are you, stranger," _demanded the soldier holding the blade. Sheets of steel lined his shoulders, arms, legs and torso. On his feet were boots of thick leather. He was tall, a few inches taller than Robin and his emerald eyes stared down at the Titans intensely. He had brown hair, cut short. A small group of similarly dressed men and women stood, grouped behind him, their own weapons drawn.

Robin groaned inwardly as he recognized the underlying accent of the soldier. He had been expecting someone to stop them at some point, but not one that did not speak English, or at least not without Starfire. He took a deep breath to calm his already stretched thin nerves. Maybe the man did speak English, but had not used it on them.

"I am Robin, leader of the Teen Titans. Princess Koriand'r is our friend and brought us to help with the war," he said, keeping his voice calm and polite, despite the weapon still pointed at him. The soldier's eyes widened and Robin breathed a sigh. He must have understood him.

"If you came with the princess, then where is she now? Surely, you needed her in order to get this far." Robin's gaze flickered toward the sky once again and once again Starfire was not there.

"I could have sworn she was right behind us," Beastboy chuckled nervously. "Any time, Star," he murmured. The soldier did not seem amused. His grip tightened on his weapon.

"You lie. The princess did not accompany you. Tell us the truth."

"No really! She did come with us!" Cyborg asserted.

"Oh really well if you are telling the truth then she will be here in the next five-" At that moment Starfire appeared in the sky and flew down to land beside Robin.

"Is there a problem?" she asked with a warm smile. Cyborg laughed.

"Dang, Star! That's the second time today you got here at the last minute. Having an off day?" he joked, poking her in the middle of the back. Beastboy cracked a grin.

"Yeah, more like we're having a lucky one," he commented back. Starfire blushed lightly, but did not respond. She looked instead at the blade still leveled threateningly at Robin.

"Corrai'n, what is the problem. Would lower your weapons and ask your troops to do the same?" The soldiers straightened at her words and their spears instantly dropped. The one Starfire had called Corrai'n bowed to her.

"Our apologies, your highness. We were only following orders," he mumbled lowly. Starfire dismissed his apology with a wave and a chuckle.

"Do not think of it. I know of our situation. We know that times are hard. I do have a request, however." The soldier straightened and stood at attention. Starfire blushed, not sure what to make of such respect. "Uh, the Psions, they seem to be interfering with ships trying to land on Tamaran. They were the reason of my absence just now. Are Galifore and the war counsel aware of this?" Corrai'n tilted his head thoughtfully and the Titans were given sudden insight into that one of Starfire's habits. He turned to the group behind them and conversed with them quickly in Tamaranian.

"No, princess," he said, turning back to her, "if they were, then we were not told." Starfire nodded.

"Then, I would be very appreciative if you would inform them. I would myself, but I do not know when I might be able to have a private word with him." Both Corrai'n and the group behind him bowed again and saluted before turning and heading back toward the castle. Starfire blushed again and turned back to her friends.

"Well, um, the Psions are regretful of the mix-up. They were in violation of the temporary truce instigated for peace talks."

Raven arched an eyebrow skeptically. "So, they apologized?" she asked. Starfire snorted.

"Hardly. They do _regret_ though."

Robin almost laughed. Almost because Keenyara suddenly barked out, "Heads down, now!" Cyborg shook his head.

"You're almost as bad as Starfire. It's heads _up_!" he corrected. Rolling her eyes, she clapped her hands together, releasing a wave of wind outward from her. The Titans looked upward from the ground as she leapt into the air, her staff held firmly. A lavender projectile hurtled toward her, but she deflected it easily, dropping back to the surface.

"Damn it, a little cooperation everyone in a while would be greatly appreciated!" she snarled. The Titans ignored her, more interested in the form descending toward them. Her shining black hair flowed down her back and brushed at her waist, swaying with the movements of her hips. Her deep indigo eyes watched them with exotic amusement as she came to a stop.

"Dear sister, how long has it been?" asked a deep, sultry voice. Starfire stood with wide eyes and approached the young woman, only a few years older than herself.

"Perhaps too long, perhaps not long enough. Tell me, how is it that you have returned?"

She chuckled. "You'd be surprised what a planet, desperate for peace, would do for you. They would even go so far as to invalidate the banishment of a former princess."

Starfire nodded and bowed slightly. "Then welcome home, Princess Kormand'r"

She laughed again, resting a hand on Starfire's shoulder. Her eyes glinted with something hidden. "Sister, it will be Blackfire, forever more."

* * *

HAHA and thus ends the kinda sorta part one! Tamaran is where the real conflict is going to start! rubs hands together I swear, I'm insane, but I swear I like it!!


	9. Chapter 8 ::Different Than How I Left::

whoo! Not dead! check it out!

Disclaimer : Don't own the Teen Titans.

* * *

Chapter 8 :Different Than How I Left It:

"Oh, yes, Galifore's been expecting you for some time. He was pretty worried about you." Blackfire was leading them through one of the many hallways of the palace, apparently toward the great hall. Starfire was following almost hesitantly, not knowing what to make of the starbolt that would have hit her had Keenyara not spot and deflect it. Blackfire seemed to be just as "friendly" as ever, though.

Almost as if reading her mind, Blackfire caught Starfire's eye as they kept walking. "Oh, and in case you're worried about that tiny little bolt, don't. I'm over that silly fight we had over the throne and I'm back on Tamaran." She threaded her arm through Starfire's who only watched her, bewildered by her affectionate behavior. "I've always felt bad about the way we've fought, especially now. After all, sisters _are_ forever, right?" Blackfire looked at her, intensely as Starfire stammered out a confused, "I suppose." Blackfire smirked and released her sister with a small chuckle.

"Good. Now, I have to go and get ready for mother dearest. Ta." And with nothing more, she swept away. The Titans watched her, dumbstruck. Keenyara only rolled her eyes, annoyed with the delay.

"Attention losers, now we move on with our lives," she said, poking Beastboy, who was closest, in the back of the head. Beastboy turned and fixed her with a glare.

"You just wait, evil un-identical twin of Raven, one of these days I'm going to _beat_ you at something and you're going to totally rue the day you ever messed with the Beastboy!!" he proclaimed, raising his hand to point at her accusingly. Keenyara snorted and turned to Raven.

"Like hell I'm related to that witch!" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Raven arched a single eyebrow.

"I'm in awe of your maturity, really I am," she stated. Keenyara sneered, but said nothing. It seemed that Raven, like Starfire, had developed immunity to Keenyara's grating personality. Her approach, though, was more centered on putting the caustic female back in her place rather than disregarding her behavior and returning it was cheery kindness. Raven's way was also much more fun for the rest of the Titans to watch.

Starfire turned to the soldiers standing guard before the large doors Blackfire had left them in front of. She spoke with them briefly before turning back to her friends.

"Galifore is inside, eating the lunch. He will, of course, speak privately with us later, but for the moment he only wants to know that we are here and safe. Keenyara," Starfire paused, looking uneasy. "Perhaps it would be best if you would just not speak for the moment. _At all_." Keenyara opened her mouth to deliver an outraged rejection, but Raven cut her off.

"No Star, that was way too polite. It has to be a firm command, like so," Raven let a triumphant smirk crawl across her face. "Keenyara, do not make any sound at all from the moment we pass through these doors until you are in the presence of only the Teen Titans again." A shudder passed through Keenyara as the command took hold. She glared daggers at Raven.

"Getting creative with this thing, huh?" Robin commented in amusement. Keenyara was poised with a retort before she clamped her mouth shut tightly. She shoved hair out of her face stiffly.

"I don't give a damn. I'll just save it until later, when my free will has been restored," she muttered. Starfire did not look happy about the solution, but she could not deny that was an infinitely better guarantee than if she had simply asked and had faith in her.

Cyborg rubbed his hands together and began to stretch, opening his mouth as wide as it would go. "Alright then, I'm ready for _Extreme_ Tamaranian dining. Let's go!" he exclaimed, heading toward the door.

"Wait," Starfire interrupted. Her face went red and she fidgeted, looking pointedly at Robin. "I was actually hoping to have a word with you, privately," she said in a rush. Robin blinked and then shrugged, and took her hand, letting her lead him a small distance away from the group. The soldiers looked at them and then each other uncertainly, but a look from Starfire seemed to make up their mind. They let the two pass unopposed.

"What's up with them? What happened to the 'Other-worlders are not allowed to touch the princess!!' thing?" Robin asked. Starfire blushed and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh, that is not exactly a real law. There is a law that is very similar to it, but that was just Galifore being overprotective. But that is beside the point. I need to tell you something." Robin's mask arched upward as he watched Starfire shift her weight nervously. He squeezed her hand slightly and stepped closer.

"Okay. What is it?" he said quietly. Starfire struggled for a way to phrase what she wanted to tell him. There had been a reason why she had pulled him away from the rest of their friends and that reason was sheer awkwardness. She was having a hard enough time as it was without a small squad of crime-fighting, and therefore quick-thinking, teenagers coming up with clever comments.

"You and I… some… Galifore… There will be those who will want to date me," she blurted out suddenly. The idea of the direct approach had dawned on her quite suddenly. I had seemed like a good idea at the time, but as she watched Robin's jaw tighten and eyes narrow she began to second-guess herself. Positive: There had yet to be a smart-ass remark.

"Want to _date_ you? Like who, some snob prince? What, am I just supposed to step off to the side and play puny Earth leader while some jerk comes and—"

Eyes wide, Starfire quickly clamped a hand over Robin's mouth, shushing quietly. His outburst had not been as private as she had wanted and the rest of her friends were watching the, some trying in vain to be inconspicuous, others almost going out of their way to be obvious about the fact that they were listening. Robin rolled his eyes and peeled Starfire's hand away from his face. "What? I think I have the right to be angry even if I can't be with my own—"

"Robin, that is _not_ what I want!" Starfire all but shouted, trying to get through Robin's indignant rant. Her cheeks flared brighter as she noticed that the Titans and Keenyara had edged closer in order to hear better. Taking a deep breath, she resisted the urge to snap at them. Positive: Robin had become silent. She quickly tried to make her point, just in case he started raving again.

"I do not want you to give in to them, just the opposite actually. Robin," she leaned closer to him, "the strength of our relationship on Tamaran is dependant mostly on you and the way you present it to others." She smiled slightly. "You see, I am just the pretty princess with a rather large inheritance. They tend to disregard the things that I say." Her voice was devoid of any bitterness or spite, a fact that relaxed Robin some. He was still confused, though. Not to mention a bit embarrassed at his outburst.

"Oh," he muttered. "Well then, what _do_ you need me to do?" he asked quietly, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Starfire almost giggled despite herself. She touched his shoulder reassuringly.

"Just to show them that the Princess already has a suitor, one who would not be pleased if another man were to try to 'make a move' as is the phrase on Earth." She blushed lightly once more as she leaned closer so that she could lower her voice. _"Or,"_ she spoke in quiet Tamaranian, _"to be perfectly blunt, that I am yours solely. My rights when it comes to love are rather foggy and bendable, in my favor and against, however there is no stricture on how… adamant my love interest may be in my well being."_ She leaned back and looked at down at the floor, suddenly feeling shy with the realization of what she was asking of him. "However, if it is too much trouble then—"

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it," Robin reassured her as he tapped her chin, getting her to look at him. He kissed her forehead lightly and winked, before turning back to their friends, though Starfire was sure she heard him mumble something that sounded like, "It's not like it's far from the truth, anyway." She smiled faintly. She had at least gotten through that with a fair amount of dignity. Sure, the Titans had heard, but they had the good grace not to bring it up with her.

She knew she was possibly being a little too sensitive, but being on Earth had allowed her to notice the drastic differences between her culture and the culture of Earth, which she was rapidly coming to regard as a part of the mixed up person she was becoming. Her life as a princess had always been avoided in Titan conversation and her dating habits had never even been touched upon. The truth was that she did have some freedoms, despite most of the propaganda about royalty. A love-struck queen of long ago had made a law stating that every citizen of the Tamaranian Empire was free to choose their own husbands and wives, including the royal family.

Of course, Rik had quickly amended this law within reason. After all, royal children were a government's most powerful bargaining chip. If that were to be taken away then the entire system was likely to fail with no clear-cut way to make alliances with other administrations. Sure, there were treaties and bargains made with cattle or some other form of property, but marriages were always much more binding and trusting than any vegetable deal could be.

As a result, Galifore or any other Grand Ruler were not allowed to arrange a marriage if she were already engaged or involved in a serious and approved relationship. Of course, this meant that most of the eligible and available males were encouraged to court the young girls early and pursue them aggressively.

But the very few months that they had been together had not erased Starfire's prior memories. She knew how protective Robin could be of everyone on his team and she knew how _possessive_ he could be of her in particular. Even as good friends, Robin had always been disapproving of her wealth of fanboys. If she knew anything, it was that the harder the noble boys pushed to get at her, Robin would always push them back harder.

Shaking her head, Starfire shared a look with Raven as the soldiers on either side of the grand doors pushed and held them open for them to pass. An electric shimmer passed through Keenyara's eyes and she glared icily at nothing in particular.

"X'hal, help us," she murmured with a smile.

"Galifore!" Starfire exclaimed as she flew into her former k'norfka's arms. Galifore released his booming laugh and hugged Starfire eagerly. He then turned to the Titans and Keenyara and nodded a bow, pounding his fist to his chest.

"Why, Princess, you did not mention that you would be bringing the rest of your team with you! As always, Titans, it is quite a pleasure," he added to them. Lunch had passed without much incident. It turned out that meals were to be much more tame and respectful when the Grand Ruler was present and so the Titans and Keenyara did not have to fight for their meal. Keenyara was still bound to silence at the moment and was therefore sulking over by Cyborg, the only member of the team in whom she had not found a reason to hate. She was sure it would come to her later, though.

Robin stepped forward and offered his hand to Galifore who shook it the best he could with the huge difference in size. Robin grinned despite himself. Galifore's huge smile could bring that out in people. "Same here." Galifore smiled at him and surveyed the rest of the Titans who all made their own greetings. His eyes, however, caught on Keenyara who refused to meet his gaze.

"And you have brought with you a new addition to your team," he observed. Starfire touched down next to Keenyara.

"Yes, Galifore, this is Keenyara. She is staying with us for a time. Keenyara, this is my knorfka, Galifore." Biting the inside of her cheek, Keenyara raised her head and gave Galifore a curt nod of acknowledgement. If Galifore was taken aback by the short treatment, he did not show it and instead beamed just as eagerly at her as he did at the rest of the Titans.

"So, Galifore, how's it going, ruling the planet and stuff?" Beastboy asked, in a would-be-casual voice. Galifore's smile dimmed some, but did not extinguish. He shook his head slightly.

"Until recently it was going as well as could be expected. _Rik _has been lobbying for more power lately, but other than very successfully. The Psions' intrusion on this peace was quite sudden. I do not have to tell you that Rik is quite frightened by them. You saw Blackfire. They have pardoned her of all crimes and welcomed her back to the planet. Of course, she is not one to simply forgive and let go. It was not until her position as first-in-line to the throne was reinstated that she accepted the invitation to coordinate and initiate the peace talks," he said, somberly. Starfire nodded with mixed feelings.

On one hand, she had absolutely no urge to govern the planet. Sure, when she had been little, she had dreamed of sitting up on her father's "Business Chair" and doing whatever she wished and having other's do her will also, but there came a point in her life when she realized that this dream was nothing but child's imaginings. She had no want whatsoever for power. However, she could hardly say that she was comfortable knowing that Blackfire had power over her. As second-in-line Blackfire's control over her was close to the power that Galifore had. She wondered briefly how selfish that made her seem. She did not want power, but neither did she want Blackfire to have it.

"So, when are there negotiation supposed to start?" Raven asked. Galifore suddenly looked sheepish.

"Ah, Princess, I had meant to tell you. The Psions wanted to move on with whatever was to happen as soon as possible, and to them that was as soon as you had arrived." Cyborg gave a low whistle.

"So they basically waited just for Starfire to get here?" he asked, incredulously. Galifore nodded, torn between pride and worry. The Psions had demanded that the discussions take place with the two princesses in charge of all proceedings, virtually commanding Galifore to hand over his power to the two, normally quarreling, sisters. Giving them power over the negotiation was also, indirectly, giving them power over the following military actions and quite frankly the fate of the people on the planet (and the people of Earth, Starfire constantly reminded herself.).

"Therefore, it will commence at midnight tonight. My soldiers tell me that you had a conflict with them while getting here so that they will know of your arrival." Robin looked at Starfire questioningly.

"Why wait until midnight? If they want it done so quickly then why wait?" he asked.

"The only reason I can think of would be that they want Blackfire and I to be without the advantage of the sun while dealing with them. It is similar to what Luand'r did back on Earth, waiting until the sun went down to present herself," she answered thoughtfully. Galifore nodded approvingly.

"It is not a tactic unknown to the Tamaranian race. Solar energy has always strengthened our warrior, be it in mind, spirit, or strength. A star's power warms our blood."

Starfire stifled a flinch at his words, suddenly remembering that Galifore had never been told exactly what she was made to be. The words could not have been purely accidental, could they? She looked intently up at her knorfka and king. His face did not hold any secret meanings, but only a righteous pride in his people. She decided to let the statement pass for now, but promised herself that Galifore would know about everything if she had to have one of the Titans force it out of her. He especially deserved that much.

Starfire suddenly flew upward and hugged Galifore tightly around his neck, as if to seal the promise to herself. He smiled wanly, if not a bit confusedly, and hugged her back gently. When she touched back down on the ground Keenyara thought she caught sight of a bit of pink on her cheeks, but remained silent (to Raven's credit). She also discovered that she was feeling irritatingly restless from the long journey and bored from the conversation. She coughed loudly and looked pointedly toward the door.

Starfire heard the cough and looked over to find Keenyara staring at the door as if she would be able to transport herself through it with her mind. She realized that her friends might be tired from the long journey. She bowed from the waist toward Galifore as she said, chuckling, "I believe that I may need to show my friends where their rooms will be. May we talk later, once my friends have been settled in?"

Galifore smiled, but then frowned thoughtfully, "Of course, we may speak later, but before you go, I know that the Core Leaders had requested to see you immediately after you got here. I believe they want to know exactly what Earth has done to you," he added, his frown deepening. Starfire's eyes clouded in confusion. She wondered exactly what that meant, but decided not to discuss it then. She smiled brightly at Galifore.

"Please, would you let them know that I will meet with them once I have my team comfortable? They will understand, I am sure," she said. Galifore agreed and let them go with another booming laugh and a comment on how pleasing it was to see them all again.

* * *

The first thing she did once her enforced silence was lifted was to ask about a training ground of some kind, "preferably outdoors." The Titans had seemed taken aback by this sudden willingness to perform physical labor, but she ignored them. She had been working feverishly on a new technique before being launched into this new conflict and she was curious to know how much the new set of natural laws would set her back, and then how much more she could pout about her predicament.

The arrangement would have been perfect: she in the center of a rather large field with targets and such at one end with the open sky all around her. There was hardly anyone there at the moment, all soldiers either on post or relaxing after their lunch. Yes, she had the entire thing completely to herself, with the exception of Raven.

Luckily, Raven seemed more inclined to sit quietly on the ground with her eyes closed, muttering something under her breath. Keenyara found this slightly annoying, but then she thought that the mere fact that she had come was annoying. She would be useful, at least.

Standing away from the other woman, Keenyara cupped her hands together in front of her. Her eyes slid closed in concentration and she planted her feet firmly. A small sphere of wind pushed against her palms, but she kept her hands tightly cupped, letting the small ball of movement whip faster and faster until it was a small hurricane in her hands. She concentrated fiercely on the feel of the wind against her hands. She could feel the change taking place.

The air around her gradually began to stir restlessly. _'Quiet'_ she thought, even her thoughts a bare whisper. The air stilled some, but she could feel it pressing at the back of her mind. It would be easy to do what she wanted if there was a great tornado whipping around her. What she was working on was a tool she intended to use on endeavors requiring stealth. She had a feeling that a severe cyclone would be conspicuous to say the least. She confined the movement to the air between her hands. She let the feel of such ferocious kinetic energy seep into her skin and rush through her being.

Suddenly, Keenyara's eyes snapped open and she flung her arms wide and turned gracefully on the spot, disappearing from view.

About twenty yards away, Raven's eyes slid open calmly just in time to see Keenyara turn and vanish. A bare moment later, she felt a brisk breeze sweep over her and Keenyara appeared not five feet away. Raven faced her curiously. She had a look of confusion and (_'Azarath help me,'_ Raven though upon seeing this,) absolute arrogance.

"Huh, it actually works better in this dimension," she commented to herself. Raven stood.

"Nice trick. What's it for though?" she asked. Keenyara held up her right hand, revealing an ornate silver mirror. Raven immediately recognized it as the one she had just put away, having finished her meditation for the day. Keenyara hid her smirk.

"Stealing," she said with forced airiness. Raven's eyes went wide despite herself, though she narrowed them just as quickly, snatching the mirror back.

"Sometimes I wonder why I get so surprised. Do you realize that you are now living in the home of a team of crime fighters, don't you? Is it really worth it to be working out your thief tricks?" she questioned. Keenyara rolled her eyes.

"You're so naïve. How do you think I got by all of those years on my own? I _stole_. And if I hadn't stole I would have died. And if I died, you would be deprived of the stunningly sexy and brilliant thing you see before you. I would never be so irresponsible as to take that treat away from you," she said mockingly. Raven simply raised an eyebrow, wondering how one person could encompass so many undesirable emotions.

"I now can add modesty to the list of things to command you to have. Anyway, you really don't seem like the kind of person to go with actual work in order to get by. It seems to me that you would be perfectly comfortable taking handouts," she commented, moving as if to leave the field, but watching for Keenyara's reaction from the corner of her eye. She heard something like a growl come from behind her and suddenly Keenyara was walking next to her, glaring at her without looking at her directly. Raven considered doing a mental victory dance before dismissing it as overrated. _'Score to Raven,' _she thought smugly. Just to seal the deal, she let a tiny amount of her thoughts show through her eyes, knowing that Keenyara would see.

"Oh, shut up!" Keenyara snapped. She crossed her arms huffily. "I don't, and you know I don't too. You and your friends all think the same thing: that I'm a stuck-up, high-strung little bitch. Now, we all know that high-strung people don't do handouts. Anyway," she paused to flip her braid over her shoulder with a haughty toss of her head, "All of you are over complicating things. That Robin thought I was just being arrogant when I told him that I was _literally_ wind, but I wasn't. I am moving air and open sky in its personified form. Independence, arrogance, confidence, all of that, it's instinctual. I'm a lot easier to figure out than a bitch. I don't have a horrible past that I'm trying to mask," she had lost the angry walk some time ago and was now walking with swaying hips and a superior look. She suddenly turned and stood in front of Raven and Raven had to stop quite suddenly in order to keep from crashing into her. Keenyara peered at her with a condescending smirk.

Raven rolled her eyes before finally taking the bait. "Fine, what, oh wonderful Keenyara makes you a bitch?"

Keenyara almost laughed. "Ah, it's because deep down I know, I'm soo much better than all this shit." And with those parting words, Keenyara spun on her heel and moved purposefully toward her temporary room, taking her braid out as she went. Raven saw her begin to re-braid it again before she turned a corner and was gone. Raven made a disbelieving sound in her throat.

"Yeah, sure," she snorted and began toward her own room. She could not help, however, remembering what Aara had said that night in her mind. _"If you two don't get along, you'll kill each other."_ The memory made her frown. It looked as if it was going to be some mix of the two. So far they seemed trapped in a weird cycle of hatred and… a less intense form of hatred.

* * *

Starfire pulled uncomfortably at her long formal dress. The presence of so much fabric made her nervous. It made her wonder what would happen if a fight broke out. It would be so easy for one of the Psions to reach out and take hold of the skirt of her dress. She wondered if she would feel that way if she had remained on Tamaran, with normal parents, without insane plots to take control of the world. Would she still be made so nervous by the strategic weak point of too much fabric?

She shook her head, as if that could rid her of the thought. Her meeting with the Core Leaders had upset her significantly. The Core Leaders were a group of the leaders of the different departments that assisted the Grand Ruler. Going to Earth, where there were so many different types of government had opened Starfire's eyes to how truly complex the Tamaranian government was. It was a kind of mix between complex bureaucracy, and absolute monarchy. She knew enough of these types of government to know that they were completely opposite. She knew enough to know that along with the recent power struggles that had been going on within _Rik_ (Galifore had told her about them), her government was balancing precariously and only good manners and tradition were, at the moment, keeping it level.

Unfortunately, it was that same tradition that had shaken Starfire so thoroughly. The Core Leaders had not been as understanding of her decision to, ultimately, brush them off as she had thought. She had been coldly commanded to recount to them all vital things that had happened to her while on Earth. This alone was alarming. As a princess she was used to gentle suggestions and beseeching requests, not commands. She had wondered exactly what Galifore would had said if he had heard their tone.

She surprised herself, though, when she found that she was unwilling to recount to him their behavior. She left out the news of their cold commands and conveniently forgot to mention the foul accusations they made, both to her face, formally, and when they thought that she was not listening. She could still hear the whispered insult ringing in her head.

_'Is that really what I have become?'_ she asked herself mentally. _'Haglotii…?'_

"Your highness, it is time," a small servant girl said as she pocked her head into Starfire's room. Starfire smiled at the girl and thanked her. She turned back to her reflection in the mirror, knowing exactly what outrage she would face if she decided to cut back the skirt. With a sigh and a last pluck at the harmless, yet foreboding, detail, Starfire straightened the simple silver ring that sat atop her head, the one reserved for second-in-line, and walked out of the door.

It was a short walk over to the great meeting room. When she entered, she was greeted with the sound of hundreds of bodies, shifting restlessly. Blackfire was already there and seated at the center of a long table, as was her right as crown princess. She took her own seat on Blackfire's right side and Galifore sat on Blackfire's left. Across from the broad table was a line of the Psion army, most likely generals and such. Directly across from Blackfire was Luand'r, who maintained a quiet mockery. Xuun was sitting on Luand'r's right side, apparently holding the equivalent of Starfire's position in the Psion military. There were arena style seats all around them, for citizens who wished to watch their leaders make their decisions. This time, however, most of them had come to see whether to prepare themselves fore war. Starfire suppressed a shiver.

The titans had been given honorary seats in the first row around at the head of the table, so that they would be able to see both sides clearly. Starfire was determined to make them proud of her. Her goal, all of their goals really, was to deter a war at all costs. After all, the Psions were looking for she and Blackfire, and they sat before them, in defiance.

Blackfire raised her gaze to the crowd sitting around them and the quiet murmuring hushed swiftly. Starfire had for a while been envious of the way Blackfire could command a room's attention so easily. It was that kind of trait that Blackfire would need if she really wanted to become Grand Ruler. When the room was silent Blackfire stood and surveyed first her audience and then her opponents. Starfire kept her gaze straight in front of her.

"My humble subjects, we are here to receive our opponents and to, perhaps, bid them goodbye as they leave our planet in peace. We are here to reach a compromise. Princess Starfire, shall we commence the Peace Talks?" Starfire bowed her head before looking back up into Blackfire's eyes.

"Your highness, we shall," she said clearly for the rest of the arena to hear. It was important that she show her respect for Blackfire as her superior and just like most of the situations she had been experiencing since returning to Tamaran, it felt strange. Blackfire nodded her approval and looked over at the Psions side of the table.

"Our demands are simple. We want you away from our people, our resources, and our planet. What is it that _you_ want?" Blackfire sneered. Luand'r laughed loudly and turned to Xuun with a significant look. She stood and Starfire saw conflict pass through Blackfire's eyes. She was did not know if she should sit or not. Luand'r saw this and bowed her head graciously.

"I humbly request permission to speak from the crown princess and the second-in-line," she said, sweetly. Starfire held back a snort and stiffly nodded her head. Blackfire did the same and sat down. Luand'r raised her head proudly to survey her former people. She grinned as she saw the older generation shrink back from her gaze. They remembered her. She looked back at Blackfire and Starfire.

"I have heard that you wish for us to leave in peace, however it was not in war that we came here. We came here only to retrieve our servant and my soldier's wife. Tamaran is harboring runaway slaves and citizens of the Psion Domain. What are we to do but come in with our warships? Tamaran is housing them, why would they not fight to keep them from their home?" Luand'r let her words sink into the room and sat as the rustle of whispers swept the arena.

From the corner of her eye, Starfire could see her sister's eyes flash in anger. She knew what she was feeling. Starfire stood firmly. At first, she was uncertain about whether or not the people would recognize her authority, but the whispers stopped immediately, if not a bit hesitantly, as if the crowd was not sure if they really needed to quiet themselves. Starfire turned her gaze onto Luand'r and raised her voice.

"Because Tamaran is not _harboring_ anyone. The people of whom you speak are first and foremost citizens of the Tamaranian Empire! They were bon here, they were raised and taught here, and _then _they were taken from their home, Tamaran, and taken to your Domain. If any state had the right to advance with warships forward it is Tamaran," she declared vehemently. As she sat once again she saw Blackfire nod slightly in her direction, in approval. Luand'r's eyes were dark. Then Galifore stood.

"Anyone born on Tamaran may maintain their citizenship unless it is given up or stripped from them in exile. Neither of the girls that you speak of have lost their right to live freely here under my rule. You, Luand'r iy And'nia, and your army are out of bounds by coming here with the intent of war."

The buzz that swept that time through the room was decidedly more confident and spirited. They felt that they were winning this verbal battle. They felt that they were putting this treacherous ex-Queen back in her place. Luand'r knew this and stood sharply.

"Silence," she hissed and silence crashed down onto the large room. Starfire winced at how readily the people obeyed her, out of fear no less. " 'And'nia' you say. _'Moonfire of the house of Fired Night Sky,' _as your human friends would say," she sneered, clearly enraged. She unlike most of the people she knew actually got quieter with the rising of her anger. "Your pitiful titles mean _nothing_ to me, just like Tamaran and its idiotic rules, set on tradition and foolishness. Listen close your highnesses, for our demands are simple.

"My army has been rallied and they will eagerly accept my signal to attack at the very moment. _They want blood_ and as their leader, they would not be happy if I were not to give them that signal. At the very moment, my ships are targeting the rural areas on the planet, places where there is no guard, however there is enough for our lasers to burn. There are resources in danger. There are families in danger."

Her words were met with the largest reaction yet. Furious conversation broke out and Starfire heard many cries and gasps of horror. Luand'r's eyes were bright with smug satisfaction. She had gotten what she wanted.

Luand'r had been underestimated.

With a growl, Blackfire smacked her palms against the tabletop and stood, her composure at its breaking point. "Quiet! I want SILENCE!" she shouted, her head whipping from one side to the other. The noise died some and then rose again to an even higher volume. Blackfire looked down at Starfire who was stunned. "Do something," she hissed. Starfire looked at her, startled, and then stood up. Looking around, she suddenly let her eyes and hands flare sharply before dimming down to nothing. One, two, and three times she did this before there was complete silence. Blackfire was sitting down by then, breathing hard. Starfire waited a few moments to think. There was no alternative left for them to pursue.

"War, however, is not profitable for any side. No matter how much property and life you destroy while we are here in this meeting, there will still be a significant amount of casualties on your side. You forget that we too have defensive and offensive ships in orbit and would be able to send them signal to attack and defend at any time. We did not come to this meeting unprepared. I therefore suggest that we do as we had intended to do when we first got here, which is to _reach a compromise_." Of course, Starfire realized that she had probably just made the biggest bluff of her life and proceeded to frantically pray that Blackfire and Galifore would go along with it and the Luand'r would buy it.

Luand'r chuckled. "Of course. And my compromise is this. These," she motioned to Xuun and the other Psion man on her left side, "Are my most loyal and trusted generals. They shall both have the honor of fighting the chosen ones for their lives," she said with a large smirk. "We challenge crown princess Kormand'r and Princess Koriand'r to a match." Starfire went pale and she could see that Blackfire did too.

"What does that mean?" Galifore asked quietly. Luand'r's smirk got larger.

"It means that we are willing to base our decision to war on a match. If you win the match then we will leave Tamaran peacefully. You will never hear from us again. This I swear on X'hal herself." The promise sent a shiver through everyone present (with the exception of the Titans, all of whom were listening to Robin's sketchy translation of what was happening.). It was common knowledge that a promise made on the spirit of X'hal was binding directly through the goddess. A promise of that magnitude that was broken was said to send you directly to The Suffering Place, dead or not.

Starfire watched wide-eyed. "And if you win. What is it that you want then?" she asked, shakily.

"We simply want what is ours. We want those that are being housed illegally here on Tamaran. We want them returned to us and we want them to come quietly or there _will_ be war. Either way, there is no war on Tamaran if both sides of the bargain are honored. Do we have a deal?"

Blackfire snarled, "Of course not. We are not idiots. You have named three warriors to fight for you, while Princess Koriand'r and I are only two. You must drop one man," she commanded angrily. Luand'r's look got, if possible, even more gleefully haughty.

"Wrong. I hold the bargaining chip here and I've found myself in a strange little grudge with another planet that is also represented here. I want only one specific warrior." And to the horror of every being in the room, Luand'r turned to point one slender finger at the group sitting at the head of the table.

At the Teen Titans.

At Keenyara.


	10. Chapter 9 ::Define OutofBounds::

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Alright. I know that this chapter looks like it has nothing at all happening. That's what it looks like. But this is the first time I'm going to actually point stuff out to you all.

This might as well be "Foreshadowing Central." I have pumped as much of my hinting skills as I can into this one chapter. So anyone with conspiracy theories can pick this chapter through with a comb. I tried really hard to bring all of that out. So, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 9 :Define Out-of-Bounds:

Blackfire was enraged. She had all but commanded that Galifore and Starfire come with her into a private room along with the Titans and Keenyara. It was there that they congregated, as the crowd that had gathered in the palace left and returned to their own homes.

Blackfire paced before them in a towering temper. She kept making a kind of huffing sound, like she was about to breath fire at any moment. Galifore was sitting in an armchair, stroking his beard, thoughtfully. He had not said a word since the meeting adjourned. Cyborg had decided to remain standing, his arms crossed. Beastboy had picked a spot on the floor to sit, cross legged, while Raven levitated next to him. Starfire was sitting with Robin by her side. Blackfire seemed to like glaring in their direction second best. Her favorite direction was toward Keenyara, who was lounging on an elaborate couch, surveying her nails as if they were the most interesting and attention-commanding things in the world.

Starfire finally spoke. "Blackfire, you must calm yourself or you will soon be wearing a hole through the floor," she said. Blackfire seemed to have been waiting for someone to say something like this and immediately rounded on Starfire.

"What did you mean by it, bringing _them_ here while we are on the brink of war? Do you realize what you have done? You have handed her a weakness with instructions on how to use it! You have sealed Tamaran's doom with a kiss!" she raged. Starfire narrowed her eyes and she leaned forward angrily.

"You know the untruth of that statement! It would not have mattered if I had brought them or not. You know that of all people, she is not the one to make a decision on a whim. This move was planned and executed. If I had left them on Earth she would have found a way to get Keenyara at least here. You will not blame me for this!" she retorted fiercely. There was a time when Starfire would have been intimidated or timid around her big sister, but since their fights, first on Earth and then on Tamaran, she had abandoned her need to be worthy in her sister's eyes. She could see surprise in Blackfire's eyes as she defied her. This, however, did not stop her rampage.

"I suppose it would be easy to think that," she sneered, "But know, if Tamaran should fall, it is your own fault."

"Well actually, it would probably be your fault. After all, what kind of leader leaves any inch of a planet unprotected during a war crisis? Definitely your fault," Keenyara piped up, still not looking up from her careful inspection of her nails. "Oh, this one is chipped," she murmured in disappointment. Blackfire growled.

"And who are you? Some wannabe hero who mouthed off to the villain of the day? What makes you think _you_ have the right to help us save _our_ planet," she snapped. Keenyara pushed herself up on her elbows and gazed levelly back at her.

"What makes you think that I would lower myself to lending out my talents to every needy planet that comes knocking? Maybe I don't _want_ to save _your_ planet," she replied acidly. There was a shocked silence as Starfire's mouth opened and closed as words eluded her. Blackfire stepped up to Keenyara and pushed her face close to hers.

"You can't do that. We don't have a choice—"

"Exactly!" Keenyara exclaimed, as the wind gusted over her shoulder and pushed Blackfire back. "You don't have any choice. So you can cut the 'how-dare-you-presume' act, because quite frankly, your dumb choice to not take care of your business has left us with this 'no choice' where I have to break my back for you." She rolled her eyes and lay back down, shooting a glance at Starfire. "And you calm the hell down. I was making a point. No need to get delicate."

Keenyara casually went back to ignoring everyone in the room while Blackfire sneered and turned away from her. She stiffly went to the last empty chair in the room and dropped into it, her eyes narrow, but not as wild as they had been. The time to vent her frustrations had calmed her and she knew that she was not acting with her usual thought. She needed to be calm in order to _fix this_.

Starfire pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache slowly developing. Of all the people she knew should not get into a fight, Keenyara and Blackfire were at the top of the list. The two were too unlikely to be the first to back away and it was even worse with Blackfire so close to her breaking point.

"That's enough, Keenyara. You do remember that little talk we had about _instigation_, don't you?" Robin said, annoyance edging his voice.

"I remember how it ended," Keenyara answered innocently.

"Emperor, I hope we are not intruding." The authoritative voice quickly shattered the tentative calm that had been steeling over the room. Two Tamaranians entered, first approaching Galifore and bowing fully to him and then nodding respectfully at Blackfire and then Starfire.

Galifore looked surprised at the disturbance, but smiled graciously anyway. "Not at all, General Rutian. We were in the process of… trying to find a solution to the problem." Galifore cast a weary glance toward Blackfire.

General Rutain was dressed in what looked like his best uniform, with the medals on his right shoulder and the left side of his chest gleaming brilliantly. His bottle green eyes were hard, like polished stone, and they glinted dully. He had finely groomed, shoulder length inky black hair that showed just how long it had been since he had been in battle. He surveyed the occupants of the room coldly and calculatingly. He was a general after all.

"It is not a problem that I have brought my son with me, is it? I am currently training him to take my place one day and thought that it would be beneficial to him," General Rutain said, gesturing toward the other Tamaranian, a teenager by his look. He had black hair like his father, though it was cut short, and dark green eyes. He was built thin and dressed in fine clothes, and he stared at all of them with a sharp interest, especially Starfire. Robin sat up straighter upon noticing this and subtly wound an arm around Starfire's waist. Her words echoed softly in his ears.

'_My rights when it comes to love are rather foggy and bendable, in my favor and against, however there is no stricture on how… adamant my love interest may be in my well being.'_

He knew that at the time she had thought that he did not understand what she meant, but he was beginning to understand more than she knew. He was starting to realize more than ever that Tamaran was _not _Earth. The things on Earth, or rather in America, that he often took for granted, treating everyone the same and the freedom to love whomever one wanted, he was beginning to notice were not as casual on Tamaran. And so, he decided to make it a little more obvious that his arm was around her waist.

"Again, it is no intrusion. Why have you sought me out?" Galifore answered. The general turned his gaze first toward Blackfire and then Starfire. It was not an assuring look.

"I wanted to have a word with Princesses Blackfire and Starfire about the Peace Talks tonight. Really, your highness, I do not believe that you should trouble yourself by staying. You should obtain at least a few hours of sleep before sunrise," Rutain answered curtly. Galifore's eyebrows shot upward.

He was torn. On one hand, the General was a hardened war veteran, one who would not bother with pleasantries and gentle words. On the other hand, both Starfire and Blackfire were older now, wiser and eventually one of them would ascend to the throne. They would have to learn to deal with the War Council and Core Leaders. The fact was that he had no more reasons to shelter either of them from the leaders that they would one day lead.

But, once again, Galifore was first and foremost, Knorfka iy Koriand'r, the Caretaker of Starfire. He could see the lines of apprehension and exhaustion etching themselves on both princesses faces. He leaned forward and stood.

"No, General. Now is not the time. Perhaps tomorrow, when everyone has had their few hours of sleep, but for now, I wish for the princesses to have their rest. They have done a tremendous job in leading this planet toward safety, despite these complications. Your discussions may wait, I think," he announced. He nodded toward Blackfire and then Starfire who bowed back. "I will be in my quarters. Goodnight." He exited the room without another word, confident that he would not be disobeyed.

Annoyance flickered through the General's eyes, but he only pursed his lips. "The emperor speaks," he muttered tersely. "Tomorrow then, I will send a servant for your highnesses and the other girl, what is her name?"

Keenyara raised her hand and waved it a few times. "She's over here. No need to act like she's not," she proclaimed. "It's Keenyara. Don't butcher it."

"Keenyara, fine. We will send for you three in the morning after breakfast. Come, Lirain." He lowered his head courteously toward the two princesses and left. Lirain rolled his eyes, a seemingly universal gesture, and followed. There was a simultaneous sigh from Starfire and Blackfire as the door clicked shut.

"Is that all that's going to happen? Seems like kind of a let down to me," Beastboy commented. Keenyara shook her head.

"Sadly enough, I agree. I figured you two would at least get told off. How disappointing."

Starfire closed her eyes and let her head rest against the back of the couch. "I am not disappointed in the least. Although, I do regret that we must do anything having to do with the Core Leaders tomorrow," she sighed.

"Why? I mean, I know they must be pretty boring, but they do, essentially, work for you, don't they?" Cyborg questioned. He had not been the only one to pick up on Starfire's weary tone. Blackfire laughed mirthlessly from her chair.

"There was once a time when the Leaders did work for the royal family. They were loyal servants and consultants. Now, they are just power-hungry fools. They have been too close to the Emperor's power without being able to have it themselves. You would know that were you to spend any time with them, to hear the questions they ask. I suppose they treated you too as if you were the naughty girl who they would soon have to bail out of some trouble," she said with a raised eyebrow. Starfire did not respond, but her frown was answer enough. "I thought so. They overstep their positions."

Starfire groaned and pressed the heels on her hands to her eyes. She suddenly felt as if something inside her would soon burst. "I would not care in the slightest had they refrained from dragging my name through the Elgnorph's dung they way they continue to!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Even that I could tolerate without the continuous snide comments I get about my team!"

The silence that overtook the room suddenly felt oppressive and unbearable. Starfire blushed furiously and rested her hands in her lap, peeking shyly at her friends. Some eyes that looked back were wide, some were narrow. She sighed again.

"What do you mean by 'snide comments'?"

"Yeah, what have they been saying about us?"

Starfire shook her head and stood sharply. "It does not matter anyway. It is frustrating, but…" she paused and ran her fingers through her hair. "Perhaps I am simply tired from today. I do not believe that any of us have slept properly since yesterday. We should all go to bed." She smiled tiredly at them all before leaving the room. Robin looked toward Blackfire, who seemed reserved but accepting.

"What's up with her?" he questioned softly. Blackfire smiled ruefully and also stood, taking Starfire's place on the couch and draping an arm lightly across Robin's shoulders. Robin pushed her arm away quickly, but Blackfire seemed nonchalant.

"I'm starting to think that sister dear decided to not tell you _anything_ about Tamaran and everything about her life before you all. Am I right?" She looked around the room and took the guilty glances and frowns as an _'Of course you're right Blackfire. Please continue.'_

She sighed. "You all really are so cute. Well for starters, that guy that just walked through the door, _that_ is Koriand'r's former betrothed." Robin resisted the urge to snort, but Cyborg did not.

"That skinny dork? You've got to be kidding me," he said, with a sideways glance at Robin. Blackfire's grin widened as she shook his head.

"Who, Lirain? Oh, no, no, no, I believe that he was contemplated for me. No, Starfire was to be paired with Lirain's _father_."

Robin choked on the air he had been inhaling. He coughed for a few moments, his eyes watering. He had not been the only one. Keenyara too had breathed wrong, though no one was sure if she was laughing under the cover of her coughs. Raven simply raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"The general? He looked like he was about three times her age," she exclaimed softly. Blackfire laughed again ruefully.

"Four, actually. He is so very old, but you must remember he is a general, a war hero in fact. I was first born and so first in line for the throne. If he was to marry my sister, the second in line, should I be assassinated, he would be the one with the knowledge to take control of the planet. It was smart thinking on the Leader's part."

Beastboy tilted his head. "They decided to make Star marry that old guy? Was he, like, one of them then?" he asked suddenly. Blackfire nodded.

"Exactly. You see what I mean about power-hungry fools? It was a good strategy, but I'm sure that the usefulness of it was just a coincidence. He wanted my sexy little sister."

Robin suddenly noticed that the lazy drawl that usually colored Blackfire's speech was drastically muted. He looked at her critically. The cocky gleam in her eye was also stifled some. Blackfire was being serious. Could it be possible that Blackfire knew what Starfire was going through and was even sympathizing with her some?

* * *

'_I remember the words so clearly,'_ Starfire mused silently to herself, _'A princess shall never shed her tears.' How long has is been since I cried?'_

It had been a while. With the Titans, an event such as Terra's "death" and Robin's joining with Slade had pushed her to tears, but in all, tears were not a common occurrence in the Tower. They were superheroes. They took blows full force from fifteen-foot-tall cement-block men as a living. They learned how to take such hits without complaints (regardless of whether they decided to or not).

Starfire ran her hand along the railing on her balcony almost wistfully. This was the balcony that Robin had scaled for her, desperate to dissuade her from marrying a "giant green booger." This was where she had almost lost everything that made her life livable. And for what, for the throne? For the opportunity to lead her people and help them to prosper? She was certain that she could make Tamaran great with the knowledge she had acquired on Earth. Or maybe she almost gave it all up for the chance to have the Core Leaders in her face every day, tearing her down in every way possible.

Starfire rubbed her face tiredly, conflicting thoughts running through her mind. Before the Peace Talks, Starfire had not really thought about the Leader's words that much. Yes, they had upset her greatly, but no where near as much as they did now. The back of her throat felt hot.

Suddenly, the world went black as warm hands covered her eyes. She felt a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Guess who," someone teased, though Starfire already knew, without a doubt, who it was. She pried his hands away gently and turned to hug her leader tightly. _'Perhaps though,'_ she thought, _'He is my boyfriend now. Maybe there is a difference.'_

"Hey," he murmured softly into her hair, feeling the desperation in her hug. "What's wrong?" Starfire tried to smile for him.

"I do not even think I know. It is just that something feels wrong. I- I feel as if I am feeling things that are wrong," she said softly. Robin looked down at her, shocked. He stepped back and hopped up to sit on the balcony's rail. He motioned to the spot next to him. Starfire looked at him questioningly, but Robin just shrugged.

"It's a nice night. Come on, talk to me," he said with a reassuring smile. Starfire smiled back and sat next to him, leaning carefully against his shoulder. She tilted her head back, looking up at the night sky. Of course, Robin was not being completely truthful. Nights on Tamaran could never compare to the nights on Earth. That atmosphere was too foggy and the stars too blurred. But the moon was still a beautiful sight to behold, it being much bigger than Earth's.

"I feel as if… I am losing something here, on Tamaran I mean," Starfire began slowly. She blinked, trying to arrange her thoughts enough to speak them. "I feel as if Tamaran is turning away from me or," she twirled her hair nervously around her fingers, "Maybe I am turning away from Tamaran." She looked up at Robin with wide eyes. "Robin, you should have heard the things they said to me when I was in the meeting with the Leaders. They treated me like… as if the choices I have made would one day kill us all." Her words tumbled over each other as she remembered the indignity of the moment. "I was scolded about just about everything, from my decision to hand the throne to Galifore to my decision to involve myself with…" she coughed suddenly, her cheeks red. "The Titans," she finished lamely.

She suddenly looked away from him, toward the floor. Robin's eyes widened once again and he wondered what to do next. It was easy to tell that "The Titans" was not what she had intended to say. He suddenly acquired a sly look.

"Catch me," he declared suddenly and bluntly. Starfire looked at him, confusion clouding her eyes.

"Wh—"

Before she could finish her question however, Robin had let himself fall backwards, being careful to push off enough to get away from the balcony's edge. He was plummeting down the side of the castle before Starfire knew what was happening.

"Great X'hal!" she gasped before sailing off of the terrace and willing herself faster than gravity would normally allow a person to go. She caught up with the Titan leader quickly and caught him about halfway down. She lowered them both to the ground, in a large beautiful garden, though the beauty was decidedly lost on Starfire as she swung toward his shoulder. Robin was grinning largely as he backed away from her.

"Quit, Starfire. What are you doing?" he laughed as he continued to dodge her wild blows. Starfire growled.

"I am trying to instill sense into your mind! What could you possibly have been thinking? What if I had—?"

"What if you had dropped dead at that moment and then my Bird-a-rangs magically disappeared? Kind of unlikely, don't you think?" Robin interrupted with a smirk. He could not say what was causing his sudden urge to tease her and see her angry, but the desire was so intense.

He ducked another of Starfire attempts to hit him and maneuvered around her, snaking his arms around her waist. He smiled as she pretended to try to pull away from him. He was smart enough to know that if she really wanted him to let go then she would make him.

"Enough of that, hmm?" he murmured in her ear. Starfire crossed her arms and huffed, making Robin chuckle quietly. He rocked from side to side, once again wondering where he was getting all of these moves from, and lead her in a simple dance to no music. Starfire sighed and placed her hands atop his, relaxing fully against Robin. "Star… Kori." Starfire felt a shiver go up her spine at the long forgotten nickname. She remembered back when he and the team had decided to attempt to call her by her native name. Kori was usually as far as any of them got. She found that she liked the way Robin said it.

"Yes, Robin?" she hummed gently. He squeezed her around the waist briefly.

"You know it doesn't matter to us what they think of you here. We don't care what they think of your decisions about Galifore or even your decisions to be with… _the Titans_. In fact, I think that _the Titans_ would go crazy without you. _The Titans_ love you, not the Core Leaders or Tamaran or whoever," he said with a grin. He nuzzled her ear. "_The Titans_ wanted me to tell you that."

Starfire bit her lower lip, trying to hold back her own smile. "Richard Grayson, I do believe that you are making fun of me," she accused, her voice barely above a whisper. Robin gasped, feigning indignity.

"Me? Never," he said resolutely. She giggled and fell silent, suddenly registering upon where they were. Running water splashed and trickled around them and melded with the sound of the gentle breeze flowing through the grass and flowers. The garden had been planted specifically to be beautiful to multiple senses. Not only did the flowers seem to glow softly in the yellow moonlight, but the fragrances they issued blended and complemented each other skillfully.

"It's nice out here. Does this place have a purpose?" Robin asked, releasing her gently to sit and pull her into his lap on a stone bench. Starfire tilted her head in thought.

"Relaxation, I believe. My grandmother, when she was Grand Ruler, she used to have a hard time sleeping and so she had this garden built so that she would be able to think at least when she was up. It is said to be the most magnificent in the palace." She paused to smile in reminiscence. "I remember playing here as a child." Robin nodded and looked around curiously.

Robin looked at her suddenly, remembering the things that he heard as he walked the Palace halls. The occupants of the palace never seemed to think that is was necessary to lower their voices when they saw him, thinking that he did not understand their language. He did understand it, but he had found that there were certain words that he heard often, usually in the same sentence as the word "Koriand'r" and an excess of giggly tones.

"So, you never did tell me why you think I understand Tamaranian," he said, enjoying the way her cheeks reddened. She shook her head and spared him a sideways glance.

"I had hoped that you would simply accept it and not question the 'why,'" she sighed. Robin took the opportunity to steal a quick kiss before continuing.

"Not a chance. What do you think? You mentioned a few theories."

Starfire grinned and threaded her fingers through his. "I did. Two." Robin nodded, a gesture that she took to mean 'continue.' "Well, you know that languages are acquired by lip contact, do you not?" Robin nodded with a sly look that told Starfire that he remembered when she revealed this to him. "Well, it is possible that because we, you and I, have been engaging in lip contact," she paused to brush her lips lightly over his, " much more often and I have long ago learned English, my body has begun to give you the Tamaranian language." Starfire began to blush again suddenly.

"Much more likely, though, is that I was not supposed to perform the motions of transferring language more than once and that day that I showed you the difference I also provided you with Tamaranian. You are only able to understand it because your mind has yet to process the information. I believe that with time you will be able to not only hear it as Tamaranian and understand it, but you will also be able to speak it fluently."

Robin nodded. "So why are there words that I don't understand now?" he asked. Starfire smiled.

"For the same reason that I was not able to fully understand everything that I was told when I first came to Earth. Slang terms and idioms you will not fully understand, the same way I did not understand them in English." She laughed suddenly. "I have been away from here so long, I would not be surprised if there were slang terms that _I_ did not understand."

Robin smirked. "Well, you could still try to translate for a tourist," he said beseechingly. Starfire giggled and kissed his cheek daintily.

"_For you, anything,"_ she murmured, a popular Tamaranian saying.

"Alright, then. A lot of the women say this one when they see me, I'm not exactly sure if it's a compliment or not, _'al'grahn'_?" he said, looking expectantly at her. Starfire giggled suddenly. She met his eyes mischievously.

"What exactly was the context?" she asked haltingly, through her giggles. Robin raised an eyebrow, but did not comment on it.

"Uh, stuff like, 'That earth boy is so,' and things like that."

Starfire giggled harder. "Um, well I believe the closest translation in English I can think of is 'sexually pleasing to the eye.' Perhaps you would call it 'Sexy.'"

Robin gaped at her. _'Hmm, that woman did not look my age,'_ he thought. Starfire continued to laugh at him and he narrowed his eyes playfully at her.

"Alright, alright, fine. I think we've had enough of the laughing at Robin, don't you?" Starfire quickly tried to stifle her giggles and tried to look serious.

"Of course, Robin," she said, smiling. "You have more questions?" she asked. Robin nodded.

"Yeah, I do if you don't mind," he snapped teasingly. Starfire nodded, straight-faced for a few seconds before breaking down into a grin once more. Any tension that she had retained from her meetings with the Core Leaders, Luand'r, or Blackfire, had melted away and she relaxed against him as he ran the tips of his fingers up and down her spine. He wondered if they would need to venture back to her room soon.

Honestly, the two of them did not often have 'make out sessions' as Cyborg called it. Light, but casual kisses were much more common between them. Robin attributed it to the amount of time the two of them had spent with each other before becoming a couple. He found that they often got too wrapped up in a conversation to move on with the physical. That was not to say that the two did not enjoy the physical side of their relationship. It just meant that they simply were not pressed to do anything.

"Alright, another word I don't know," Robin muttered as he thought. He kissed her shoulder gently. "There was one; I think it was pronounced _'Haglotii.' _" He did not expect her to stiffen so suddenly the way she did. While she had been smiling lazily before she was now frowning horribly and Robin knew that she was hurt by something and perhaps even angry. She faced him slowly, with a pale face and wide eyes.

"Wh-where did you hear that?" she asked with a tight voice. Robin shrugged, his eyes narrowing at her stricken look.

"Just around the palace. Why? What does is mean?" he asked.

Starfire's jaw clenched tightly before she slid sharply from his lap. She walked away from him a few steps, but then paced back, not wanting to leave him so abruptly, but then turned away again. Soon she was pacing stiffly before him, cursing angrily in Tamaranian.

Wide eyed, Robin stood quickly and caught Starfire by the shoulders. She pulled away from him sharply, but stopped pacing. She refused to look at him, however and her breathing was heavy. Robin was sure that he could see her tears welling slightly in the corners of her eyes.

"Star what—"

"'_Haglotii,' _is the name the Core Leaders have decided to brand me with, unofficially of course. I have heard them whispering it in the palace hallways also. In English I believe it would be a mixture of your terms 'gold digger' and more prominently 'slut,'" she declared, emotion coloring her voice. Robin opened his mouth to say something, but Starfire pushed past him roughly and continued.

"That is what they believe of me, of _us_. They believe that I was unable to assemble my own team on Earth and so I found you and the Titans and gave myself to you in order to obtain power. And you gave it to me. They think that you and I are _nothing,_ Robin. Nothing but a way for me to feel the power I left behind on this damned—"

Robin caught her again, but this time pulled her tightly against his chest and held her there tightly. Starfire grabbed hold of his shirt and resisted the urge to scream as loud as she could. She felt she would do anything to release the pressure in her chest, as if her heart was too big to fit inside of her. She gulped down air haltingly, fighting back her tears.

"It's okay, Starfire. It doesn't matter what they think of us, I don't care…" he trailed off, feeling her shaky inhalations. He was, of course, furious that anyone, especially someone who did not know him(or Starfire really) in the least, would make such accusations about either of them, but he was more worried about Starfire and her reaction to them.

More than just worry, Robin was confused. Though he had always tried to avoid making any kind of comment on her unusualness on Earth, she never seemed to him to be the type of person to concern herself with others' opinions. Of course, as a 'celebrity' there would always be people who criticized her for no reason at all, but Starfire always seemed to take it all in stride. Indeed, she had learned the word 'slut' from a Starfire-hate site that she had promptly joined after learning exactly what is was. She delighted in reading the petty complaints the members posted about her and returning with overzealous moans of her own. But now…

'_This isn't Starfire,'_ Robin thought dazed.

Starfire shook her head. "No, you do no get it. This is not the way it is supposed to be on Tamaran. It is not the way I or any of my guests are supposed to be treated. I know it may seem conceited to you or presumptuous, but you must understand," she pleaded, looking up at him desperately. "Bad things are happening on Tamaran, and this is a symptom of how much and how drastically things are changing. Only twenty years ago if they had even hinted at the things they say now when they know I can hear them, they all would have been put to death. No one would dare. But here I stand with the man I love, accused of whoring myself away to him for the cheap thrill of power!"

Robin shook his head, "I can't say I understand it here, Starfire, but what I do understand is that you can't let them get to you like this." He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, looking worriedly at her. "This isn't like you," he murmured.

Starfire laughed mirthlessly, a different sound to come from her. "Robin, please understand me. This is different from the websites on Earth, the people who cannot stand me for any reason. The Leaders have power and if they choose to formalize their accusations…" she broke off and met Robin's eyes, wondering.

'_Could I tell you that my planet is in danger? Would you understand if I said that Tamaran is too unstable to withstand such a scandal?'_ she thought desperately. She suddenly shook her head, pulling out of his embrace.

"This battle, I believe that maybe X'hal guided my here for more than just a fight with my past. But… it is just… so different," she finished lamely. "I must find a way to restore this balance, I know, but I have not even a whisper of an idea how."

There was silence as Robin battled with himself, a thousand answers and questions running through his mind, but none of them found their way out of his mouth. Starfire smiled apologetically, cupping his face in her hand.

"We… we should both rest. It will not be long before the sun rises and we must be up a few hours after that. Goodnight, Robin." She kisses his lips lightly and rose slowly back to her balcony and returned to bed. Robin watched her go, just as silently. She disappeared onto the balcony. The light from her room extinguished.

Robin sat down on the bench that had once held him and Starfire. He gazed at the beautiful garden before him, wondering dazedly what kind of work went into its up-keeping. Did anyone really use it all that much?

Robin looked upward once more with a sad smile.

"Wonder how I'm supposed to get back up to my room."

* * *

I know the ending sucks, but... whatever.


	11. Chapter 10 ::Fate Holds Your Attention::

AN: Whoo!! I am on fire!! I thought that this chapter would take me muuuuuch longer. It hasn't even been a month!! I am goood!

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans... or do I...?((no))

* * *

Chapter 10 :Fate Holds Your Attention:

"_You can glare at me like that as long as you want, you bunch of pissy bitches, but I'm sure as hell not going to stay around and watch you. You wanna say something say it before I get too bored with all of this."_

Starfire almost laughed, remembering the way Keenyara had addressed the Leaders upon learning that none of those present spoke English. At the time, she had been in a panic, struggling to translate out Keenyara's rude language without drawing attention to her tone. She had been almost furious with her as she refused the train to her fullest and to demonstrate her power to the committee selected to oversee their training. Now she prayed that the temperamental wind manipulator would not perish by her mother's and, indirectly, her hand.

"_Listen up, Starfire. Listen and remember. This fight is bigger than you and me, and it sure as hell is bigger than your little smart-mouthed friend. So think before you choose to save anyone's life, I don't care if it's mine, or Windy's, or even your own. Are any of us bigger than Tamaran?"_

Starfire bit her lip as she remembered her sister's harsh tone. She had been almost as passionate as she had been the night after the Peace Talks. Starfire had been confused then and still was. She had thought for the longest time the Tamaran meant nothing to Blackfire and still she had found nothing to contradict this theory. Perhaps, it was just the thought of someone other than her ruling the planet that she had envisioned at hers for so long. Maybe her sister really did care about Tamaran and its people.

Nevertheless, her words had branded themselves in her heart. Though Blackfire could be coarse and brutal, she was also clever and calculating, just like her mother. She knew what could win a fight and what could lose one. Once again Starfire wondered at the irony of her teammates: Blackfire, deliberate and cunning, and Keenyara, seemingly brutal and without emotional attachment. Then there was Starfire, with a soft heart and the will to save everyone and everything. She marveled at how similar Blackfire and Keenyara could be, in fighting and possibly in everything else. Starfire was the odd one out.

She prayed that Tamaran would not be lost, that she and Blackfire would not be condemned to the hell that they had already escaped once, just because she was not strong enough to sacrifice a life or to take one.

There was not a doubt in her mind that should they lose, Tamaran would fall. Galifore was too attached. He was too emotional. Perhaps that was another reason Rulers refrained from bonding with their children. Love could cloud your judgment. For should Tamaran's only princesses be taken once more to the Psion ships, Starfire had no doubt that he would follow with every war ship available and two-thirds of the population would agree whole-heartedly.

"It's a weird feeling, huh?"

Starfire wheeled around suddenly, breaking her eye contact with herself in her mirror. Keenyara was leaning casually against her doorframe, arms crossed and her braid pulled over her shoulder. Her eyes were lazily half-lidded and Starfire wondered if she had possibly forgotten what was to happen in no more than a few hours.

"What?" she asked, her voice scratchy and throat dry. Keenyara pushed away from her spot and strolled to her side.

"The weight of a world on your shoulders and the fate of thousands in your hands," she answered loftily. She smiled ruefully. "So I guess you'd be thinking about exactly how many mistakes you could make in order to bring your planet to its knees." She offered her hand to Starfire to help her up.

Confused, Starfire took her hand and stood. She gave Keenyara a questioning look to which Keenyara simply shrugged. "They told me to come get you so you could eat something. Commander Woodpecker wanted to come get you, but your big, fluffy king thought it'd be a bad idea if you were all hot and bothered before you started fighting. So, of course they sent the one you met an entire week ago." She laughed suddenly. "Maybe they expect us to bond," she snickered.

Starfire smiled. It was almost comforting. When the rest of the world was spiraling downward, at least Keenyara was still as surly and rude as ever. As always, she ignored the boorish connotations of her words and returned them with the same cheery kindness she did everyone else.

"It is interesting that they would actually send you. Truly, I would expect Raven to come for me," she returned. To her surprise, Raven rounded the corner at that moment, looking as apathetic as ever.

"Don't say anything. Let's just say that Keenyara is not the best choice for emotional support, should you need it," she stated. She took the spot on Starfire's other side as the three continued their journey to the Dining Hall.

"I didn't tell you two yet?" Keenyara asked, shooting them both a sideways glance. "I'm not exactly here for emotional development and support. I'm purely here for your physical self. Don't die for a few decades and my job has been fulfilled." Starfire looked at her strangely.

"And what exactly is supposed to be happening by then?" she questioned curiously. Keenyara rolled her eyes and finally looked at the two of them fully.

"Well I tell you that and I might as well kill you now for all the good it'll do the cosmos," she snapped. Raven snorted.

"Way to be cliché. Really, bravo," she deadpanned.

Keenyara sighed. "You know, I usually try to be above some things and to use my power for… no, never mind. I usually use my power for personal gain and entertainment. Alright," she nodded as she continued to talk to herself. "Yeah, I can do this without moral qualms."

Raven arched an eyebrow in irritation. "Spit it out, Keenyara. Points are quite important to some of us," she snapped. Keenyara nodded.

"Fair enough," she said and huffed suddenly, motioning toward the ceiling. Raven's cape suddenly flew up and over her head. True, the trick was immature and nowhere near as cruel or violent as one would expect from Keenyara, but it also was as far from the dignified veneer that Raven maintained as she could manage.

Starfire giggled despite herself as she watched Raven try to replace her cape and salvage her shattered self-respect as it was scattered into the breeze. Her hands were crackling with black by the time Starfire could lay a hand on her shoulder pointedly. "It is not really worth it, is it Raven?" Starfire asked, trying in vain to hide her grin. "Perhaps you could save it up, at least until my planet has been saved."

Raven scowled and let the magic fade from her hands. "After all the crap you spew, you had better win this fight, Keenyara," she retorted. They had come to the Dining Hall and all three turned in, Raven glaring daggers at Keenyara, Keenyara glaring back and Starfire grinning cheerfully between them.

She could forget her fate, if only for a minute.

They headed toward their normal table, the one they had sat at since their arrival on Tamaran. Raven and Keenyara returned to their previous spots, right alongside each other. Blackfire was missing from the lunchtime table. Cyborg, Beastboy, and Robin greeted her warmly.

"Princess! You have decided to join us at last!" Galifore exclaimed with a wide grin. Starfire blushed lightly, but recovered quickly as she took her seat next to Robin. He shot her a look, which she returned with an apologetic smile. He shrugged and continued to struggle with the long, thin, spaghetti-like food before him.

Beastboy was doing the same on her other side and Starfire giggled. "Perhaps I should help," she offered, smiling, and pinched the foodstuff firmly. The "noodles" gave a quiet squeal and wrapped around Beastboy's utensil enthusiastically. Green(er)-faced, the vegetarian slowly lowered the utensil, suddenly feeling a bit full.

Galifore took a large bite of the living noodles before looking toward Starfire slyly. "I wanted your friends to seek you out for more than just nourishment and treats. You have been hiding in your room for long enough. I have arranged a surprise for you," he announced. Starfire straightened instantly as the Titans, minus Robin, exchanged knowing looks.

"What is it, Galifore? What have you done?" Starfire asked with affectionate suspicion. Galifore only winked mysteriously and took another bite of his lunch.

"_I will say only one thing about it. It is a surprise that you and Robin will share,"_ Galifore half whispered in Tamaranian, shooting a devious look toward the masked teen. Robin suddenly began to cough over his drink. Galifore looked toward him questioningly. Starfire blushed suddenly.

"Um, Galifore, I do suppose I did not mention, Robin has begun to understand the Tamaranian language," Starfire stated quickly. Galifore frowned dejectedly.

"Oh, then I have ruined the surprise then!" he exclaimed. "But what a strange occurrence. Humans do not generally just begin to comprehend a language, do they?" he asked. Starfire sipped at her own goblet, trying desperately to calm herself.

"Um, no, not generally," she answered. "So, my knorfka, what is this surprise?" she asked brightly, hoping to steer the subject in a different direction. While Galifore did know about her relationship with Robin and thought that she was making a suitable choice, Starfire still did not feel comfortable discussing exactly how Robin had acquired the Tamaranian language. Galifore seemed to take the change in stride and looked around the table, checking the plates of his guests.

"Well, I suppose, since you have finally ventured from your room… come," he said and stood from the table. The Titans and Keenyara followed suit and the group quickly left the Dining Hall.

* * *

A young Tamaranian girl, no older than fifteen on Earth, wrung her hands nervously as she perched on one of the overstuffed couches in the Princess' room. Her pure white hair had been done up in a high ponytail with ribbons and things weaved into it. She wore her finest clothes; shimmering, sheer white fabric formed into a loose, long-sleeved shirt over the crème-colored sleeveless belly shirt and flowing pants in the same crème color. Her eyes, pale and white, yet still able to seem alive, regarded the outfit critically.

Her caretaker told her constantly that white was the color X'hal had blessed her with and she should show this proudly. She personally thought that it was a bit overdone. White hair, white clothes, white eyes, white, white, white! The only thing on her that was not white was her skin, which stood out vibrantly against the absence of color everywhere else on her. But, her caretaker knew more about such things than she did. Perhaps it made her look pure. Or clean.

The doors opened suddenly, and the girl stood with a start. Quickly entering was the Emperor and Princess, followed by their guests, the Titans. The girl bit the inside of her cheek and forced a smile. She had not expected them to come so soon. Or maybe she had not wanted them to come. One or the other.

"Are you surprised, my bungorf? One of the ladies-in-waiting suggested it to me!" the Emperor said, waving a hand at her, regally. She quickly executed a hasty bow and kept her gaze downcast. She heard the Princess laugh delightedly.

"Well Galifore, I see that you have brought me a young girl? What is the surprise?" she giggled. The Emperor laughed back and turned to stand by the girl, clapping an enormous hand on her shoulder. She lost her footing momentarily, but quickly stood straight.

"Of course not!" he admonished jokingly. "This is Lady Kilaani. She is the youngest Palace Seer in Tamaran's history and has agreed to a group reading for you and your friends!" The princess squealed and flew upward to hug her former knorfka. Kilaani chanced a look up, seeing that while the princess seemed excited, a few of her friends seemed skeptical and a few of them reluctant.

"So he wants us to let some psychic into our heads?" whispered the one called Robin. Kilaani had seen him wandering the palace a few times and the ladies-in-waiting gossiped about him nonstop. They said that he could defeat twelve fully-grown, armed Tamaranian warriors single-handedly and without a weapon. Many of them did not believe that he was really a human. They thought he was a hybrid of some warrior race. Absolutely all of them knew that he was off limits. Property of Princess Starfire.

The tall, cybernetic, dark-skinned man elbowed him sharply. He was the Cyborg. Kilaani was sure that she had heard him called simply "Cyborg", but the ladies insisted that the "the" was imperative. His power, more than his strength, was widely known throughout the palace. There were rumors of him possessing a power similar to the mysterious "starbolts" that the two princesses had. The Cyborg shushed Robin quickly. The Emperor, however, had not heard his grumbling. He was too busy listening to the gratitude Princess Starfire was lavishing on him.

"You are such a thoughtful knorfka, Galifore! It is wondrous that you would do such a thing for me!" she exclaimed, hugging the large Tamaranian tightly and then settling herself back on the ground where she beamed at him. Her friends agreed behind her, giving enthusiastic thanks. Of course, there were a few who were less enthusiastic, the two females notably.

Really, it was these two who had the very least information surrounding them and so the most wild rumors. The short, caped one, Raven, was said to be a fallen angel turned for good. Others said that she was a demon sent to destroy our galaxy, but had switched sides when the time came to betray us. The other, known as Keenyara, was shrouded in mystery. No one knew anything about her (except for her fierce temper) and no one even suspected anything of her. She was said to have only recently joined the princess's team and had not accompanied the Titans to the betrothal that had almost taken place.

Though all of his friends were heavily rumored and whispered about, that was not the case with Beastboy. Everyone knew Beastboy or they knew of Beastboy. He was friendly(almost overly so) and was sure to speak to each Tamaranian girl and a small number of the boys. Though very few of the girls spoke his language, his animation was easy enough to understand. Of them all, he was the best accepted, by the women at least. Kilaani knew that the some men, however, were slightly annoyed by his flirtatious ways.

"Well, you are all welcome. It is the least I can do for the Teen Titans of Earth, who have supported our princess and our planet in its most vulnerable time. I will leave you. Kilaani is one of the most proficient Seers of Tamaran I have ever met. She will take care of you." The Emperor bowed and turned to leave.

Princess Starfire turned also to see him out. Kilaani heard, once Emperor Galifore was just outside of the doorway, "Galifore, please, why did you say that is was a surprise for Robin and I? It seems like a surprise for the entire team, no?" she asked. Galifore winked.

"Well, I am sure that no one would object to a lover's reading, am I right? Have fun princess."

The door snapped shut and Kilaani was left alone with a room full of aliens and a blushing royal.

Kilaani was not a shy person, or at least she never had been. Ever since her transformation, which had drained the color from her hair and eyes, leaving them pure white, she had been much more secluded from the world. Socializing was a hard enough, but it did not help that one of the most powerful people on the planet was present and looking expectantly at her.

Kilaani started and quickly kneeled, stood, bowed, and waited for permission so stand at ease. The princess seemed to blush even more and murmured, "oh, no!" She rushed forward and touched Kilaani's shoulder, coaxing her up. "Please," the princess began, "I really do not like all of those formalities." Kilaani stood and dipped a small curtsy.

"O-of course, princess," she stuttered nervously. The princess grinned.

"Starfire, please, call me Starfire. And you are Kilaani, correct?" she asked. Kilaani finally released a small smile.

"Yes… Starfire. I am Kilaani, that is right." She stepped back and seated herself on the edge of one of the couches. "And you are the Teen Titans. Please, sit and be comfortable," she requested. She tried to be inviting and friendly, despite her nerves. The Titans all looked at each other and seemed to give a collective shrug. They made themselves comfortable on the group of couches and armchairs. They laughed and joked with each other as they did and the tension was quickly dissolving.

Kilaani tucked her feet underneath her and a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. "So… do you have questions?" she asked awkwardly. Her clients usually were plastering her with questions from the time that they came into the door. These Titans seemed not to know exactly what to do.

Beastboy jumped up, excitedly. "What am I gonna do in ten years? In twenty years? Am I gonna have a beard? My hair's still gonna be on my head right?" he asked, all in one breath. Kilaani giggled softly. This was what she was used to in her line of work. She blinked softly and the place where her iris should have been became paler and lighter if possible, defining her eye better.

"You will have hair on your head. You do not have a beard, but, um, you will," she thought hard for the correct word in English. Finally she simply looked toward Starfire. "Parrnglo?" she inquired. Starfire 'ahhed' and nodded.

"Shave," she supplied. Kilaani nodded in confirmation as Beastboy 'oohed', mesmerized by the imaginary image of himself. Raven shot him a disdainful look.

"I have a question," she proclaimed, eyeing Kilaani. "How old are you? I mean, Galifore said you were the youngest Palace Seer in Tamaran's history." Kilaani blushed and began to twist her hair around her fingers.

"Oh, I celebrated my seventeenth birthday a few months ago," she answered. Starfire wrinkled her nose, trying to do the math in her head.

"On Earth, that would be about fifteen," she concluded finally. Raven hummed in acknowledgement.

"That's notable, to have honed your art enough to get this position in that amount of time. I'm impressed," she admitted. Kilaani smiled and looked down for a moment.

"You are also a Seer, not in the Tamaranian sense of course, but you have experienced Knowledge, I know. Perhaps, before you leave, we may get together and share techniques. It would be interesting," she invited. Raven allowed a small smile.

"It would be interesting," she said finally. "We'll set something up, I guess."

Cyborg grinned. "What's this? Raven's actually socializing? The universe will either collapse or world peace'll be next," he joked. Raven rolled her eyes and ignored him. Cyborg looked Kilaani over briefly. "So, really, what's with all of the white?" he asked. Kilaani laughed.

"I think that sometimes also. My caretaker, she is also a Seer, but much older than I, she tells me that X'hal provided me with this color and that I should show others that I am not ashamed of it," she responded, shrugging. Cyborg raised an eyebrow.

"You mean you weren't born with white hair and stuff?" he questioned. Kilaani's eyes widened and she pulled her bundle of hair over her shoulder, petting it mournfully.

"Oh no! I remember when I used to have the most vibrant black hair and green eyes. My transformation left me looking like this, however." She sighed, staring wistfully at the bunch on hair lain in her palm. Beastboy waggled his eyebrows.

"I think it makes you look _white_ hot," he proclaimed, attempting to smooth his hair back charmingly. Kilaani giggled and blushed before suddenly looking guilty.

"Oh, my. I am here to give you glimpses into the future, and yet we are here talking about me and my wants," she admitted guiltily. She turned her gaze to Robin, who had been observing the others with a smile, but still not saying anything. She knew that he and the princess were in a relationship of some intensity. An idea suddenly occurred to her. "Give me your hand, please?" she requested. Robin gave her a skeptical look, which she returned with a gentle smile. "You also, Princess, if you please."

Starfire looked at Robin before extending her hand with a smile. Robin sighed with faux exasperation, but also held out his hand. Kilaani smiled at them both, before taking both of their hands and pressing them against each other. She pulled back and laced her own fingers together. "Like this," she instructed, holding her hands up for them to see. The couple looked at each other before doing as they were told. Kilaani nodded firmly and slowly ran a finger along the groove between their hands. She smiled.

"You are so happy together," she almost laughed. She knew her empathy was overdriving some, but she did not regulate herself. While the Princess was open enough, she could feel Robin holding back quite a bit. She would need to be more sensitive. She traced the dips between their knuckles simultaneously. "But you are also tense. With worry for each other." She shrugged. "But one day," she wrapped her hands around their hands and began to open herself to the powers that gave her Knowledge. She had intended to take a quick peek into their future, the normal blink of a look of a happy moment so that she could say that they would be happy together. It was potentially untruthful, but she had been taught that most people did not want the truth, just the convenient.

She always had to give up at least a little control when looking into the future. She usually held most control, but she suddenly knew that this would be different. She was no longer opening herself, but being opened, wider than she had ever gone. Time slowed until it seemed to stop, frozen in the moments right after she had spoken. She could not see the Titans or the Princess's ornate bedroom. She was lost in the darkness, in a fire. The power of X'hal gripped her and ripped a prophecy from her throat, though she never spoke a word.

_**She will be marked, though she is marked.**_

_**She will feel the pain, she must feel the pain.**_

_**She will lose his love for he will lose his life. **_

_**There will be death, in his heart and in her soul.**_

_**The pain of death, without death's release,**_

_**That is her fate.**_

_**WE WILL MAKE HER SUFFER.**_

Kilaani opened her eyes fully, slowly, as if nothing had ever happened. "O-one day you will be safe and h-happy," she said almost automatically. "Ahh," she exclaimed softly, snatching her hand back as a searing pain shot up her right forearm. She inspected the spot with wide eyes. Even as she watched the scarlet marks, Tamaranian characters spelling out the prophecy, faded into her skin. Starfire was staring concernedly at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly. Kilaani forced a smile, still dazed from her experience, and forced out an excuse involving a l'ru, a small bug almost like an ant. She stood hastily, and kneeled low before the princess.

"Your highness, you must excuse me for leaving so suddenly, but I feel my caretaker calling for me. She feels that it is imperative." She did not leave just yet, but waited for the Princess to dismiss her.

"It is perfectly fine, Kilaani, but please, there is still no need for all of the formalities. We shall be Starfire and Kilaa—"

She could not finish her sentence, for Kilaani was already up and halfway out of the door.

* * *

Keenyara surveyed the Titans neutrally as she braided her hair with care. They had gathered around the two princesses, wishing them luck and bantering nervously. She could hear the fear and uncertainty in their voices as they tried to assure the two warriors of their skills, as they tried to assure them that they were confident and certain of the victory that was to come. Keenyara rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Humans were so dramatic.

The Tamaranians had offered her traditional fighting clothes and she had accepted them, making it clear that she had done so only because she absolutely abhorred the T-shirt she normally wore. The outfit she wore was pure white, the shirt exposing her stomach and no sleeves. She had forced them to give her the pants to a male's outfit and they fell baggily around her. She had refused the metal plating and neck plate that went with a warrior's uniform and kept her sneakers on, as she had grown attached to them. As she had said, she would do this, but she would do it her way.

Starfire and Blackfire were both dressed in the traditional warrior's garb, both in black. Starfire smiled nervously at her friends as her sister smirked condescendingly. They both seemed unafraid of the approaching fight. Keenyara saw straight through their act. The air around them vibrated wildly with their heartbeats and she noticed easily the slight tremors in them.

Robin was holding Starfire's hand, letting her lean against him as they spoke to their friends. The gesture was meant to seem casual, but it was easy enough to see the tightness of his grip. Cyborg laughed raucously at one of Beastboy's jokes, louder than he should have. Only Raven and Blackfire could manage to maintain a semblance of composition.

"Starfire."

The Titans looked up in surprise to see Keenyara staring steadily at Starfire. It was rare to them to hear her call anyone by their given name. Keenyara seemed to know this and was sure to use its potency.

"Come talk to me. And leave the Frantic Four over there, huh?" she said, softly. For once, her voice held no contempt and minimal sarcasm. Her face shone with grim sincerity. Starfire drew her eyebrows together in confusion and pulled gently away from Robin.

"Okay…" She went to Keenyara who pulled her out of the room and into the hallway. She motioned for her to follow and began walking. Starfire, still confused, did as was expected of her and the two of them began down the hall.

Before long, Starfire began to hear the dull roar of a huge crowd. They kept walking. She soon began to discern separate words and voices. They kept walking. Suddenly, she recognized one of the voices and the words he was saying. It was General Rutain. He was speaking to the crowd, instructing them to not interfere with the fight that was about to take place. He was speaking of the importance of their belief in their Princesses. He was encouraging their courage in this time of uncertainty.

Starfire stopped walking.

Keenyara turned to her, her eyes rhythmic for once, and took a deep breath. Starfire surveyed her new look with slight awe. Keenyara's eyes were open and gazing at her levelly. They were not narrowed with spite or half-lidded with boredom. Her arms hung loosely at her sides instead of crossing before her chest or with her hands propped on her hips.

"Listen to me, _Starfire_," she started, and stepped forward. "Listen and look at me too." Her voice was almost monotonous, or maybe the absence of mocking was making it seem that way. "I've heard the things your sister says to you." Starfire tilted her head.

"What in particular?" she asked.

"The one where you are less valuable than the well being of this planet," Keenyara answered promptly. Starfire quickly grew still. She too stopped fidgeting and regarded Keenyara calmly. They were now two diplomats, sizing each other.

"I would agree to that bit of advice. Does it not make sense that more than a million lives would be worth more than a single one?" she reasoned. Keenyara rolled her eyes suddenly. Her respectful facade deteriorated quickly and she scowled.

"Alright, reasonable Keenyara is gone, that took way too much energy anyway, but please take a second to note that I tried," she snapped and grabbed Starfire's arm, pulling her farther into the hallway and closer to the noisy arena. They only made it a few more steps before Starfire pulled her arm away. Keenyara circled around her until her back faced the direction they had come from.

"Keenyara, what is this about?" Starfire asked finally. Keenyara stepped closer and leaned in close.

"This is about my purpose here, the reason I have been shoved into this dimension and into your life." Keenyara's tone was weighted heavily with deadly severity. "Take a careful look around you, Princess, because not everything that smiles is an ally around here."

Starfire's eyes were wide as she stared with alarm at Keenyara. "Keenyara, what are you saying?" she asked, anxiety starting to get to her. Keenyara swore and pushed Starfire farther toward the arena. She kept glancing over her shoulder, apparently trying desperately to keep from being overheard.

"I'm saying that _you_ are meant to live through this fight. I don't care what you are threatened with, what you are promised, what you _think_ you can do to save your sister, your friends, your people. There are bigger things at stake here than just Tamaran. There is a _universe_ at stake here," she hissed vehemently. Starfire took hold of Keenyara's shoulder and shook her slightly.

"You are not making any sense! I do not have the power to affect the entire universe. I am not that essential."

"Wrong." Keenyara cocked her head to one side, apparently listing hard. She swore venomously. "There's someone coming. You're strong, Starfire, and smart for the most part. Just don't do anything stupid."

She turned and stalked away, leaving Starfire alone with her unanswered questions. Not five seconds after she left did General Rutain turn the opposite corner. He stared silently at her, appraisingly.

"Now, it is time."

It was then that she realized that she could forget her fate no longer.

* * *

BUM BUM BUM!!

Guess what? next chapter has a huge fight scene. So get ready because in all my years of writing(like two...) I have never pulled of a sucessful fight scene. But I will do my best.

Happy President's Day!!


	12. Chapter 11 ::All in the Eyes::

OH MY GOSH!!! LOOOK!!! I'M BACK WITH AN UPDATE!!!! AND I ACTUALLY KIND OF LIKE IT KIND OF!!!!

READ AND ENJOY!!

* * *

Chapter 11 :All in the Eyes:

Starfire inhaled deeply. When she exhaled, she reveled in the rush of power, of white-hot fire that scorched her veins, yet never burned her. She heard Blackfire on her right side doing the same. Keenyara was breathing deeply also, but Starfire could hardly comprehend what she felt as she called her power to her fingertips. The three of them stood together, facing their opponents, daring them to steal victory.

General Rutain separated the two forces, standing between them and formally announcing the rules that had been predefined. They were simple enough. When one team could fight no more, be that in unconsciousness or death, the other had won. Any unnatural weapon that used a power source, such as a laser gun or energy cannon, was prohibited. Any hand-powered weapons would have to be self-supplied. Those were the rules. Starfire and Blackfire held their swords at the ready as Keenyara unwound the strip of fabric from her staff and threw it aside.

Keenyara turned and fixed Starfire with her stoic gaze and then turned away, sizing up their opponents.

'_This is not my fight. This is not my planet. This is not even my fucking _dimension_. But it is my life and my body that I risk,'_ she thought angrily. A brisk wind began to stir the dust from the packed dirt arena. The surrounding arena seemed to be divided in half, one side colored with red, black, and brown heads, while the other half was shaded with pitch black hair and flaky gray skin.

Blackfire surveyed her people authoritatively. They followed Galifore easily enough, but she knew that that would not last long. Galifore was not royalty in any sense of the word. While her sister spent most of her time among the servants and ladies-in-waiting, Blackfire socialized with the warriors and their assistants. They were unbelievably gossipy and were constantly letting slip the things that they had heard. There were thoughts of mutiny floating around among them. They had lost faith in both Galifore and Starfire. She would rise to power. It was only a matter of time. General Rutain turned to every fighter, asking if there were any questions. No one made a sound.

General Rutain nodded slightly and bowed before the Psion leaders, causing the Tamaranian side of the arena to erupt in boos and hisses. He then turned and kneeled to the two princesses, resulting in the same effect from the Psions. Done, he stood and strode purposefully to one side of the huge outdoor arena. There was no _'Let it begin'_ or _'Fight'_ or any kind of signal for the match to begin. But it was still just as apparent, though still no one moved.

Luand'r was the first, strolling leisurely closer to her opponents. All but Keenyara, tensed, as she came closer, her two generals flanking her. A laugh danced on her lips.

"Well, little Kori and Korma, all grown up with big girl swords. Where do the years go?" she asked, mockingly as she continued to advance. Her smirk became larger. "Allow me to introduce your future conquerors. I believe you know Xuun already, but I do believe my other fighter will give you quite a pleasure." The second Psion stepped up, turning his face this way and that in the light, apparently finding pleasure in the girls' confusion. Suddenly though, comprehension dawned on Starfire and it was all she could do to stop the whimper from escaping her throat, even if she could not stop herself from stumbling back. Fear and shock darkened her eyes.

His name, if she remembered correctly, was Firrn and he was the one who had dragged a knife through the flesh of her back in order to strip her shirt away from her. He had been the one to beat his teammates bloody, insisting that he would be the first to take her, despite the 'rules', if one could call them that. His brutality and greed had forced a knife deep into her shoulder, just to the right of her left shoulder blade. She still retained a scar from that battle from her childhood.

This was her "husband."

Blackfire bared her teeth. "You bastard! How dare you show your face here!" she snarled, moving forward a few paces. Luand'r raised her hand, a pearly projectile gleaming there, and Blackfire halted her advance, though her glare never left Firrn's face. Starfire seemed rooted to her place, whether it be by fear or something else, no one was sure. Firrn turned to Blackfire with a condescending smirk.

"As…" he paused to let his eyes roam her body appreciatively, "wonderful as you are, I believe I find your sister _much_ more satisfying." His eyes burned possessively into Starfire, who was breathing shakily. He bounded forward suddenly and leaped over Blackfire's and Keenyara's heads. He landed behind Starfire and wasted no time in wrapping one arm around her neck and the other around her waist, pulling her close. Starfire still seemed frozen as Blackfire and Keenyara trained their powers and weapons on the two. Starfire's breathing was coming in quick gasps.

"You know," Firrn whispered, his lips barely brushing her ear, "I never did get my night…" Starfire's spine snapped straight and she felt sick as a thick, warm tongue probed her ear possessively. Past sensations came flooding back to her; people groping her and kissing and _touching_ her. Firrn bit into her neck and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. She sealed her eyes together in hopes of waking from this nightmare. "What do you think?" he murmured, soothing the spot of his bite with nauseating kisses.

Starfire's eyes suddenly snapped open, both of them gleaming with a starbolt's energy. "I do _not_ like that idea," she snarled, grabbing Firrn's arm and flinging him roughly away from her. This sudden movement seemed to be the awaited signal and frenzied movement burst into the arena as Firrn caught himself in time to lunge again at Starfire and Luand'r diving toward Blackfire. Keenyara quickly tried to deflect Firrn's attack, but she quickly found herself in battle with the last adversary, Xuun.

Firrn tackled Starfire violently, never having been one to be timid when it came to battle. He pushed her too the ground, straddling her waist and pinning her hands on either side of her head. Starfire growled and released a stream of energy from her eyes, throwing him off of her once more. This time she advanced toward him, starbolt ready in her hand. The two became locked in a rapid-fire hand-to-hand battle, matching each other blow for block. Starfire's eyes narrowed as she deftly maneuvered around one of his more powerful kicks and took hold of one of his arms, hooking a leg around one of his.

"I am _not_ ten years old anymore," she hissed and jerked her foot backward and pushing him forward, sending him toppling over, his forehead meeting harshly with the ground. She looked up briefly, wondering faintly how Keenyara and Blackfire were doing. She was quite surprised when Firrn flung her off of him, catching her in the stomach with his booted foot and sending her four feet in the opposite direction. She coughed violently and wiped her mouth. With a jerk she rolled to the right, barely avoiding Firrn as he dropped from the sky.

Blackfire had yet to fire a single bolt as her sword clashed again and again with that of her mother. Both called to one another, taunting mercilessly. Blackfire laughed, finding nothing around her funny. She stabbed her sword toward Luand'r, who dodged it barely.

"My, my. You must be getting old, mother," she laughed as she continued to fight. Luand'r raised on eyebrow.

"Some of us, never intend to age or die," she answered with a smirk, to which Blackfire laughed again. With a grin, Blackfire lunged for her opponent, anticipating her dodge and grabbed a fistful of her mother's scarlet hair. Her sword flashed and she was suddenly holding a fistful of red locks. She sneered at Luand'r's wide eyes and slowly let the hair fall from her grasp.

"Oh, I know there has to be a few grays in here somewhere," she said mockingly, and charged forward once more with her sword over her shoulder. Luand'r's eyes narrowed and she swiftly dodged two swipes of Blackfire's sword before blocking the third. The two of them glared at each other over their crossed swords. Abrubtly, Luand'r broke Blackfire's gaze with a blast from her eyes. Blackfire bent backward and to the side in a classic matrix pose. It was not quite as effective as Luand'r pulled back to drive her sword into her stomach.

Blackfire's eyes went wide as she noticed this and she threw herself into the air, twisting her lower half. She managed to kick the sword from Luand'r's hand and catch herself in a cat-like crouch, her eyes bright with battle rage. She pulled back quickly and sprang into the air, summoning a starbolt to each hand. Luand'r seemed to follow her example and projectiles began to fly throughout the arena, kicking up dust and rocks.

Keenyara whipped her staff over her head and the dust around her cleared almost instantly. Xuun, seeing this, wasted no time in attacking with a handful of sharp edged glass disks that whizzed straight for her.

Keenyara's eyes narrowed and she moved steadily toward the glass projectiles. Suddenly, as the first disk came within striking range, she whipped her staff upward, deflecting the blow. She moved swiftly and deliberately, knocking each disk out of her way, clearing her path to Xuun.

"Fight me," she hissed and lunged toward him, wind carrying a stream of dust around her. He seemed to laugh and dodged the blows Keenyara threw at him and managed to slip far enough away from her to create more of the disks, though these had sharpened points and were fired at a closer range. Keenyara's eyes widened as she reeled backward slightly and pushed one of her hands forward, palm facing Xuun stiffly. A narrow stream of wind burst forth and scattered the projectiles better. She ducked and weaved through the wave of glassy weapons, her gaze set on Xuun who regarded her almost appraisingly.

"Well, I see that the Heavens have at least chosen a competent guardian for their little _champions_," he derided. While his voice was usually high and pathetic, it was now deep, cold, and powerful. Keenyara's eyes went wide and she quickly struck the ground with her staff, raising a huge dust cloud around them both. She cleared an area around she and Xuun, surveying him carefully.

"What are you?" she asked coldly. Xuun smirked condescendingly.

"Oh please, _Keenyara_. You can't possibly think that only the side for 'good' would send a protector for their fighter? I was told that you were less naïve." He almost seemed to grow in stature and breath in the instant that he spoke and in that instant Keenyara realized that she had underestimated her job. Everything was suddenly clear to her, but she continued to play it safely.

"You're Luand'r's guard," she said slowly. "Luand'r… she is the other side." Xuun smirked and began to pace slowly while still appearing calm and in-control.

"She is, though I have to say that she is an infuriatingly needy thing. Attention and praise and assurance, ugh! But her hate," Xuun's eyes seemed to glow and darken simultaneously, "her hate is wondrously intense." Keenyara scoffed and held her staff more firmly, also beginning to move about the cleared out space.

"Well, we all wish for the full package, huh? But really, shouldn't you speak a bit nicer about your future ruler. After all, she controls your fate," Keenyara asked, a trademark sneer gracing her lips. Xuun's expression colored with anger and a short crystal blade abruptly hurtled toward Keenyara. Keenyara scoffed once more and twisted to the side, avoiding the shot easily.

"Make no mistake," Xuun growled dangerously, "_I _am the one in charge here. Luand'r may show her power and revel in her power, but I believe that even you know that true power is even greater when it is exercised in finesse and manipulation." He laughed suddenly, a sound that raised the hairs on the back of Keenyara's neck. "Didn't you ever wonder what prompted this woman whom you had never met before to include you in a battle on which rides her very future? Surely you all didn't think that she did this on pure whim." The pair continued to circle one another.

"You did that," she stated and Xuun nodded.

"It did not take much to convince her _highness_ that it would be wise to add another player to the game, that it would be in our favor to involve someone that the Princess was close to and would sacrifice herself for. Luand'r is a fool, but a powerful fool. And a fool can be profitable as long as she is kept under control."

"So why did you insist that I be included? Not that I'm complaining. I'm having a wonderful time."

Xuun sobered instantly and he stopped pacing. "Yes well, I can't be held accountable for all pleasantries," he answered coldly. He advanced toward her and she held her ground, facing him boldly. "I am not stupid. I know your purpose here." Xuun launched forward and made a swift grab for Keenyara's neck, but the teen eluded him and struck forward with her staff. Xuun pushed the blow away as if it were nothing and pushed his hand outward. An invisible force radiated from him and Keenyara was knocked backward, sending her tumbling to the ground. Xuun grabbed both of her wrists, surprisingly strong, and pulled her up to face him. "You are an underhanded, tricky side step of the rules set down for the Last Battle, and I am here to neutralize the playing field once more."

Keenyara spat in his face, and was thrown away in disgust. She chuckled darkly. "It always surprises me how Evil is always surprised when I do that," she snickered and stood. "So what are you saying? That you're going to kill me? That you're going to send me back to where I came from?" she taunted. Xuun narrowed his eyes and held up his hand, slowly making a fist.

"Exactly."

Suddenly, the cloud of dust that had been sheltering their conversation dropped as Keenyara fell to her knees, clutching her lower stomach. Her face, for the first time, held vulnerability as blood poured from between her fingers and she cried out as a familiar burning sensation spread throughout her. Xuun stepped forward and took hold of her forearm and pulled her up to eye level.

"Do you feel that _Keenyara_?" he asked quietly, his eyes boring into her own. "That is your past." Keenyara growled and grit her teeth together, intent on keeping her whimpers of pain from escaping her. Yes, theses wounds were her past, with each of them came the memories. And she knew what was next.

"Keenyara!"

Keenyara swore, recognizing Starfire's panicked voice. She heard clearly the whoosh of the Princess lifting into the air, rushing toward her. She wrenched herself from Xuun's grasp and turned to her, a swear on her lips.

"Watch your own fucking back!" she snarled, startling the princess out of the air. Firrn was quickly upon her, along with Luand'r. Keenyara looked around and quickly found Blackfire sprawled on the ground, blood pooling slowly around her head. But Keenyara could hear her rhythmic breathing. She had been knocked out. Keenyara swore again. _'It would be the one who talks too damn much,'_ she thought viciously.

Keenyara moaned as a searing burn began to twist down her back. Xuun took a firm hold of her braid and pulled her back. He sighed in an exasperated way and tisked.

"This can be very simple. All I want you to do is give up your duties as guardian of those two little thorns in my side. Do that and I swear that all of the pain will go away."

Keenyara laughed harshly. "Sorry, old man. But even if I wanted to help you out, I couldn't. Crushing isn't it?" she almost giggled, mocking even through her pain. Xuun narrowed his eyes and conjured a crystal dagger. He sighed again.

"Always difficult, aren't you?" he questioned before plunging the knife into her back. Keenyara drew blood from her lip as she refused to cry out. Her knees felt weak and she felt almost limp in Xuun's arms. "And what do you think of my offer now?" he asked, pushing her away from him. To his shock, a peal of laughter erupted from her as she dropped to her knees.

"Sorry to ruin everything for you," she mumbled, a drunken smile plastered on her face as she turned to regard him over her shoulder, "but I don't play the victim very well." Her eyes blazed fiercely as she yanked the knife from her back and flung it toward Xuun's midsection and summoning a strong wind in her direction, forcing Xuun onto the point of his own knife. She maintained the stream as she fell to the ground, making sure that Xuun make solid contact with the opposite wall, his knife protruding from his stomach. He dropped to the ground and remained there, motionless.

Keenyara's breathing slowed as she blinked toward Starfire, fighting away her mother and former handler. She rolled over onto her back, sighing as the searing pain on her back subsided. The blood from the phantom wound on her stomach was quickly slowing and soon the wound would be gone entirely. She would live, but she was too exhausted to continue. She blinked blearily as darkness crept into her line of sight and sighed again. "Don't let me down Starfire," she mumbled. _'Don't let me down…' _

Starfire stared with wide eyes at Luand'r and Firrn as they advanced toward her slowly. Luand'r looked over her shoulder, surveying the three limp bodies behind them. She turned back to Starfire, a mocking smile on her face.

"Well, your sharp-tongued friend seems to be out of the match, though I believe she eased your burden a tiny bit. Xuun of all people, I really don't think it's fair," she laughed. Starfire's eyes darted from one adversary to the other, wracking her brain for a plan. Her sword had been dropped a while before, out of her reach. Her eyes were alight, masking her panic.

"Poor Koriand'r, all alone with a world on her shoulders," Firrn commented, circling around her, pacing. Her mother remained stationary, and Starfire struggled to keep both in her line of sight. "Tell me, how old are you now? Have you been saving yourself just for me all of these years?" Luand'r chuckled.

"Oh, do not delude yourself, dear Firrn. She keeps quite a pleasing little boyfriend, the leader of her team," she snickered. Firrn's eyes darkened.

"Is that so?" he hummed. Luand'r nodded, regarding Starfire evilly. The three were motionless, Firrn and Luand'r standing on either side of Starfire, as Starfire trained a starbolt on each of them. "I can't say that I would expect something so… manipulative of our princess. Is that how you maintain your place on the team?" he questioned. Starfire growled and released a shot toward him.

Firrn dodged easily and dove toward her, pulling a long sword out as he went. Starfire's eyes widened and she cursed her quick anger as she began to duck and weave through Firrn's precise attacks. She grunted suddenly, as she felt a burning force on her back as she was propelled straight toward the tip of Firrn's blade. Starfire swore and twisted hard, managing to kick an unsuspecting Firrn in the face. She launched into the air, closely pursued by her mother and a veritable wall of iridescent starbolts.

She was sure she had never flown as agilely as she did then and yet, the ends of her hair suffered, burned to black crisps, and she came close several time to sustaining serious burns to her face, abdomen, all of her really. She fired shots from her hands and eyes with the rapid-fire accuracy that she had been trained with and still her mother dodged all of them and returned them with bolts that were, if possible, hotter and truer in aim. A sheen of sweat quickly covered her, sticky with the light coat of dust that also steeled on her skin. She needed to end this fight soon. It would be impossible for her to continue like this for much longer.

She stole a glance at the ground, hoping desperately for some inspiration. She noticed Firrn pacing impatiently below them. He could not fly, no Psion could. Xuun was a sorcerer and so had some levitating abilities and powers of sorts, but most Psions relied on their speed and strength to fight.

Firrn growled lowly and rested on his sword. "I am feeling distinctly left out, Your Highness," he called into the air. His only answer was a large silver starbolt and a disdainful look from Luand'r. Starfire suddenly gasped with her eyes wide, an idea occurring to her. She quickly murmured a quick prayer. This was her last hope. This was Tamaran's last hope.

She suddenly dove low, heading straight for Firrn. Her mother followed, starbolts raining the entire way. She headed for Firrn, still weaving her way. She finally was there, engaging the surprised Firrn in a fierce hand-to-hand battle, all the while dodging her mother's attacks. It was not as hard for her, as she often had to do the same when fighting with the Titans. Firrn, however, was inexperienced. He was jumpy in the heart of sizzling inferno. Starfire found that the heat hardly bothered her.

Starfire fought ferociously, her fist connecting with Firrn's cheeks and jaws more than a few times. But Firrn was hitting her back, not quite as many times, but hard enough to daze her. She continued to fight, however, turning often to release a shot toward Luand'r, who hovered over the fight, always keeping the stream of starbolts steady.

"What is your plan, little Tamaranian?" Firrn shouted as he pressed her back, his sword flashing intimidating. Starfire growled at the absurd pet name he had given her during her youth.

"I plan to show you that you could _never_ control me," she grunted back, releasing her starbolts on him. Firrn almost laughed and managed to maneuver around her until he was behind her. He slashed at her left shoulder, purposely just grazing the skin and making a shallow cut.

"I remember a time when I controlled you well enough," he sneered. Seeing his opportunity, he pulled back, ready to end it all, but was shocked and frozen by the glare that Starfire gave him over her shoulder. Her words barely registered to him as she whispered.

"Never again."

Starfire's hand shot forward, encased in a blazing emerald flame, tendrils of it trailing behind it. To his shock, she quickly too hold of the blade of his sword. A tint of read spread from her touch and the metal bent under her touch. Firrn released the hilt of the sword suddenly, the heat of it too intense. Starfire's eyes narrowed as she smirked.

Suddenly, she saw her chance and she grabbed Firrn roughly, and flung him _hard_ into the air. Luand'r had been distracted by the stirring from her other daughter. The two collided with a dulled _crack_. Starfire flew upward a few feet before gathering her energy and releasing a powerful stream of energy from her hands and eyes.

Suddenly, a violet blur shot upward, past Luand'r and Firrn. Blackfire hovered above them, her hands trained on the pair.

"Starfire!" she called and Starfire cut the flow, flying to the side and out of the way. Blackfire shot one bolt at them, separating them cleanly. The sister's shared a glance before darting toward an opponent each. Blackfire took a firm hold of her mother's shoulders, ignoring the blows to her face and body. Starfire did the same to Firrn, her eyes boring into his.

Simultaneously, two large clouds of smoke rose into the air and the two princesses made impact. There was a shout of frustration, one that was silenced almost instantly, and then there was stillness.

The crowd watched with bated breath as two figures began to emerge from the smoke. One of them paused suddenly and started toward Keenyara. A slow shout began to grow throughout the arena as Princess Starfire knelt next to Keenyara, her fingers pressing against her neck, checking her pulse. The Tamaranians leapt to their feet as Blackfire raised Firrn's sword in victory.

"Commander Luand'r swore on X'hal herself that should Tamaran win, there should be no war!" she shouted over her people's cheers. Starfire appeared by her side and set Keenyara gently on the ground before her, shooting worried glances at her, though a smile still prevailed on her face. "General Rutain, check the representative of the Psion army! They are unconscious and shall be for quite a while. They are unable to fight! They have LOST by the predetermined rules of a committee formed with both their representatives and ours! Victory has come to us, my subjects! Tamaran is free!"

A shout rose anew through the arena and Starfire smiled once again. Three Psions entered the field, gathering their fallen leaders. They turned their noses up at the two Princesses and scurried off of the field and the Psion half of the mass began to file out of the stadium. Meanwhile, Tamaranian sprang into the air, darting this way and that, singing praises to X'hal and to Crown-Princess Kormand'r and Princess Starfire and Lady Keenyara. They laughed and cried and families, miles away, rejoiced upon hearing the happy sounds from the palace stadium.

Starfire's grin grew in size as she caught sight of her friends, her teammates. They approached her quickly, pride shining through their eyes. Cyborg crossed his arms.

"I told you so," he stated. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that's why you were hiding behind your hands half of the time," she mentioned. Starfire laughed, finding everything funny at the moment. She sobered some and looked down at Keenyara, who Starfire would think was dead had she not checked her pulse earlier. She did not even seem to breathe. Cyborg saw her looking and quickly stooped to pull her into his arms. Beastboy held her staff, looking positively giddy at the possibility of playing with the forbidden object.

"She has saved Tamaran just as much as Blackfire or I have," Starfire said softly as she touched her cheek. She looked up at her friends. "There must be a way for us to thank her somehow." The Titans nodded, regarding the girl who seemed at first to be trying to prove to them that she was untrustworthy, yet had risked her life and sustained a major wound for one of them with nothing in return.

Raven was poised to say something, but was interrupted by the quick and authoritative burst of Tamaranian from behind her. She turned to see a team of Tamaranians, all dressed in similar uniforms, two of them carrying a stretcher between them.

One who was not carrying the stretcher said something again and this time gestured toward Keenyara. Comprehension dawned on Raven and she nodded toward Cyborg, who gently placed the teen on the stretcher.

"Starfire, tell them that I'm coming with them. I'll heal her, but I need them to carry her to whatever recovery room or bed they have," Raven said. Starfire nodded and addressed the medical team, gesturing toward Raven. They looked at her and frowned, but did not seem to object.

Robin placed a hand on her Starfire's shoulder suddenly. "Hey, maybe you should go with them. You're bleeding," he pointed out. Starfire was suddenly aware of the sticky blood that trickled down her back and the fact that her hand had been sliced when she grabbed Firrn's sword. She blushed suddenly. That move, she knew, was a bit hot-headed and dangerous. She nodded quickly.

"Of course," she commented and the Titans began to follow her into the Tamaranian infirmary.

Not many people noticed them as they disappeared through the stone hallway leading away from the arena. But a very few of them did notice and watched them with rapt attention. And as the last Titan, Robin, disappeared into the hallway, two pairs of eyes reacted.

Colorless, pale eyes widened in worry and panic.

Dark green eyes narrowed in pure malice.

* * *

ok, so maybe I didn't like the ending quite so much, but it's kinda cliffie, doncha think?? 


	13. Chapter 12 ::Temporary::

AN:: ACK!! I swear I have a good reason why I dropped off of the face of the earth. THIS CHAPTER GAVE ME HELL!!! Plus once I had it halfway done my flashdrive broke... like in half. I don't know how. So... I'm really nervous about this chapter in particular so any comments and criticism is VERY appreciated. I want to add more to this but read the chapter first. there's an end note too so... that should explain what the hell I was thinking.

(oh, and it got kind of complicated, trying to keep the speaking-in-english vs. speaking-in-tamaranian think down. So it's basically a context clues things. Sentences that are all in italics and spoken by someone who speaks tamaranian(basically everyone but Robin, Raven, Cyborg, Beastboy, Keenyara) are most likely in Tamaranian.)

Chapter 12 :Temporary:

"_Fuck!"_

Someone in the room inhaled sharply while another giggled quietly. Keenyara disregarded this and continued to mutter obscenities as coherent speech came back to her. Flashes of memory assaulted her and she groaned, rolling onto her stomach.

"Is she undamaged? Perhaps she is hallucinating," a timid voice offered. Keenyara remembered the girl's face clearly, but her name eluded her. This thought was followed immediately by the notion that she did not care in the least and the horrible throbbing in her lower stomach was what she did care about.

"Actually, Kilaani, it's the fact that she's spouting off like it'll save her life that tells us that she's perfectly fine," answered Cyborg's smooth voice. Keenyara's head felt like it would explode and she found that she had no energy to flip him off. She quickly substituted the next best thing.

"Fuck you, you God-damned asshole. I swear, if you're not silent in the next few seconds I'll shove my staff so far up your fucking USB port that 'Booyah' will cease to be a happy sound," she snarled. Beastboy laughed, punching Cyborg's shoulder lightly.

"Ah, she got you good, dude!" he taunted. Robin crossed his arms and quirked an eyebrow in Keenyara's direction, something that she disregarded completely as she forced herself to sit up, surveying the room.

"It's kind of hard to tell she just dropped into the dimension a few days ago, huh?" he commented. Keenyara rolled her eyes and leaned her head back against the headboard of her bed. The room she was in was white, not the golden, sandstone-like color of most of the palace, and held two other beds like hers. The sky outside was dark, but the stars were not yet out, making her think that the sun had just recently gone down. The Battle for Freedom, as Tamaranian bards had begun to call it, had happened around noon. Keenyara had been unconscious for around seven or eight hours, yet still bangs and pops could be heard from surrounding towns. The planet was still in celebration.

"Shit," she swore once more, mostly because it bothered somebody present. "What the hell did I _do_?" she groaned, pulling her shirt upward and poking her stomach critically. Starfire flitted forward instantly and Keenyara had the distinct feeling that she would be very tired by the end of their conversation.

"Friend, you have made it possible for Blackfire and I to save ourselves _and_ our planet! My gratitude and debt to you is immeasurable!" she answered breathlessly, taking Keenyara's hand and holding it tightly. Keenyara rolled her eyes and jerked her hand back, waving her lavish praise away.

"Yes, yes, I know I'm wonderful. Get over it, as I have," she muttered, looking away. "Like I said, I'm bound to serve you and cranky ass over there. Anyway, what I wanted to know was, what did I do to make my stomach feel like there's a fucking hole in it," she added, taking deep breaths.

"Well, Keenyara, what did you say to Xuun to get him so pissed at you? Because he's the one who sliced you open," Raven snapped. Keenyara sat up straight suddenly, wincing slightly.

"Get it right! That decrepit old ass couldn't hit me if I were tied to a target. I _never_ got hit," she spat. She leaned back once more, still glowering. "He did some kind of witch shit. You know," she adopted a low, masculine voice, raising a hand. "I'm going to eliminate you," she imitated, closing her hand. Once done, she blew out a breath, flicked her hair over her shoulder and began to unbraid it. "Someone want to tell me what's up with that?"

Starfire bit her lip suddenly. "Xuun does have that ability, both to make you relive the pain of past wounds and also to literally reopen them. Although, I know that to reopen wounds causes him to loose quite a bit of energy and power and leaves him very weakened. He must have found a huge reason to hurt you," she said slowly. Keenyara's eyes darkened.

"And how long does it take for the pain to stop?"

Starfire shrugged uncertainly. "It depends upon the severity of the original wound," she answered.

Keenyara swore… again. This time she caught sight of Kilaani's slight wince and allowed herself a small smirk. "You could have told me all of this before now!" she exclaimed. Starfire frowned.

"Keenyara, unless your wound was fatal, I am sure the pain will fade eventually," she said confusedly.

"Perfect. I'm going to drop dead."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a child. You aren't dead, which means the wound wasn't fatal, which means you'll get over it," she deadpanned. Keenyara crossed her arms.

"In case you left your clue in your _other_ leotard, this is not my dimension! In my dimension, I'm pretty sure I'm dead. As in, I'm buried in the ground at this very moment, dead. From this shit up in my stomach right now! So excuse me if I'm a little pissed about the fact that _someone_ could have informed me of this before now!"

Starfire blushed which made Raven cross her arms back. "Uh uh, Star. She's not even really mad at you. She's just trying to deflect the fact that she got wounded, bad. Get over yourself, Keenyara. Nobody cares," she said, turning her gaze away. Keenyara balled her hands into fists.

"You fucking demon! Get the fuck out of my head!"

"I don't have to be in your head to feel your emotions! Although, I guess it's beyond you to exercise a little control!"

"Oh, control, control, control! Like you're such an expert on controlling yourself!"

The Titans turned from one enraged female to the other, following their quarrel like a tennis match. Both women, who normally held a superior and higher-than-thou attitude, seemed to diminish in size until they were reduced to two bickering children. The simple argument quickly advanced to a fight and the Titans and Kilaani were stunned into silence at the vicious personal attacks the pair launched, and the image of children was shattered by the vast vocabulary both seemed to have.

Robin was finally forced to step in once the battle got physical; launching a bird-a-rang at the lamp Raven had deflected back at Keenyara. Starfire and Kilaani winced simultaneously as the lamp shattered inches from Keenyara's face. The remnants were blown away instantly and Keenyara moved to get up, eyes hard and throbbing fast enough to almost be a continuous light. Raven moved toward her also, her eyes black and crackling. The Titans glanced at each other before springing into action.

Beastboy went to Raven, grabbing her hand. "Rae, get a grip!" he exclaimed, surprised by her actions. Raven turned to him, before slowly releasing her energy. The darkness faded from her eyes, leaving behind a lethal glare. She wrenched her hand away.

"I've got a grip already! I'm perfectly calm!" she exclaimed, just as one of the decorative vases erupted in midnight flames and slowly collapsed on itself, eliciting another wince from Starfire and Kilaani.

Starfire went closer to Keenyara, laying her hand on her shoulder. "Keenyara, do not attack Raven," she said firmly. Keenyara's muscles relaxed suddenly and she slumped back down on the bed, glowering. With a growl she threw herself out of the bed and stalked into the small bathroom that adjoined her bathroom, slamming the door with force enough to shake the walls slightly. The click of the lock was fairly loud.

"I'm so tired of you bunch of asses bitching at me for no reason!" Keenyara's voice was muffled, but still easily understood. Raven stood suddenly, her armchair launching into the air behind her and shattering on the ceiling.

"Kilaani, are we still doing this or what?" she snapped as she reached the door. Kilaani jumped and grinned, sliding from her seat.

"Of course," she almost laughed, hiding it unsuccessfully. "I shall see you later, Titans," she said as she disappeared before Raven in order to lead the way to her room. Beastboy jumped up.

"Hey wait! Can we come?" he asked quickly. Raven turned her deadly glare on him, though it had little effect.

"No," she bit out. "Psychics. Only."

Beastboy pouted. "Hey, that's superpower-ism!" he shouted. Raven's jaw clenched and she turned on her heel, ignoring him. Beastboy scrambled after her, shouting indignantly. "Raven's a superpower-ist! She discriminates against non-psychics!" Cyborg hopped up.

"Oh, this one is gonna be a good one!" he snickered. Starfire laughed as she darted forward also, getting to the door just in time to see Cyborg turn the corner. She turned, about to say something to Robin, but then she caught sight of the bathroom door, which remained closed resolutely. Robin followed her gaze and shrugged, giving an "after you" motion.

Starfire sighed and went to the door, knocking swiftly. There was silence from the other side. "Keenyara!" she said imploringly. She was sure she heard Keenyara respond, but her voice was drowned out by shouts in the hallway.

"Beastboy! Go away!"

"No! Not until the rights of my non-psychic brothers and sisters have been—"

"BB, duck!!"

There was a crash, a pop, and a shrill scream. Robin and Starfire shared an anxious look before rushing out the door and around the corner. Suddenly there was another pop and a Tamaranian servant girl appeared, crying and screaming shrilly in Tamaranian as Kilaani tried in vain to calm her. Raven stood off to the side, looking much more calm than she had when she stormed from the infirmary room and Cyborg sat in the middle of it all, shaking his head wearily. Beastboy was nowhere.

"Oh no," Starfire gasped and rushed forward, rapid Tamaranian pouring from her. Robin stalked toward Raven, annoyed.

"What happened?" he snapped.

"Nothing," Raven replied calmly. "I was trying to teleport Beastboy out of my face, but I missed and got that girl over there. I don't see the problem. I brought her back, didn't I?" she added defensively.

Robin took a deep breath, trying to block Starfire's conversation with the Tamaranian out. Trying to keep both languages straight in his mind when he heard both as English was giving him a headache. "All right, well where did you send her?" he asked, forcing himself to think and act rationally. Raven raised a single eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"I don't think it matters," she answered, turning away. Robin's jaw clenched and suddenly Starfire's shocked voice burst forth.

"_Ru Tamaran iy ra bin'thor??"_ she gasped, her voice alarmed. Robin rounded on Raven.

"You sent her to the _center_ of the _planet_?" he growled. Raven did not answer, just stared back at him boldly. "Raven," he began, his voice deadly. "_Get Beastboy out of Tamaran's core! _Now!"

Raven rolled her eyes and waved her hand. There was another pop, which made the servant girl scream. Beastboy plopped down in the center of it all, rubbing his head.

"Wow," he coughed, looking up at Raven. "That place was kinda cool!" Raven rolled her eyes.

"That was _not _the point," she muttered. She turned away. "Kilaani," she said, and began walking.

Kilaani glanced sympathetically at the Tamaranian girl, though she seemed to be recovering from the shock quickly enough. She hurried to Raven's side. The sounds of the panicked Tamaranian girl faded significantly as they rounded the corner and quiet began to regain its place. Kilaani regarded Raven carefully from the corner of her eye.

"What?" Raven snapped, not sparing her a glance. Kilaani shook her head quickly, biting her lip to keep from grinning.

"Nothing," she answered. "You just look as if you feel better and…" She trailed off, thinking better of it. Raven finally shot her a look as they rounded a corner.

"And?" she prompted. Kilaani scratched her chin nervously.

"And, well, you seem to be the kind of person that maintains a calm aura. Why does Keenyara irk you so?" she asked carefully. Raven pressed her mouth in a thin line and was silent, and Kilaani gave up on an answer. She jumped slightly when she did.

"Honestly?" Raven asked as they came to a set of stairs. Kilaani nodded and led the way down. "I don't think she really does bother me, actually." Kilaani glanced at her questioningly. Raven sighed. "For as much as we snip at each other, I know that we're basically the same person. She's just a lot more straight-forward in the way she expresses her personality. But when Keenyara starts with me, it's like there's something in her voice that's encouraging me to lose control, not just to be sarcastic." Raven shrugged. "I mean, I know we were mad at each other, but really it wasn't so deep. It was almost like some kind of weird game."

Kilaani nodded. Suddenly Raven frowned, though. "Plus she's damned bitch." Kilaani laughed to herself.

-!-

Starfire sighed, exhausted as she leaned her forehead against Robin's shoulder. The two were perched on one of Starfire's overstuffed couches. Robin chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"It took me an _hour_," she mumbled into his shoulder. Robin grinned and tugged her into his lap.

"I know."

"Raven and Beastboy and Cyborg, even Kilaani! They just left!" she continued, gazing at him with wide eyes.

"I remember," Robin answered. He pushed her hair out of her face affectionately.

"The poor girl was practically hysterical."

Robin leaned forward and rested her forehead on her shoulder, sighing lightly.

"I was there," he answered, laughing slightly.

The couple had decided that Keenyara would need time to rest and to wind down after her fight with Raven. They had ushered the poor girl into Starfire's room, or rather, Starfire had while Robin followed, not having much else to do. Starfire, however, had put him to work, making some sort of tea-like drink while still jabbering on in Tamaranian. After an hour of sympathetic looks and apologies, the girl had left, still a bit shaky on her feet. The couple was left alone, Starfire almost exhausted and Robin fairly amused.

"How're you feeling?" he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers, his hands resting around her hips. Starfire shifted, settling herself so that she was straddling his lap. She draped her arms around his neck, fingers playing gently in his hair.

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head. Robin leaned forward to snag her lips gently. Finally he pulled back.

"Well," he began, "you got out of battle a while ago. I know you felt fine before, probably from the adrenaline rush or something, but I bet it's kicking in by now." Starfire blinked blankly at him and shook her head, leaning forward to nuzzle against his ear.

"'Kicking in'?" she murmured, threading her fingers through his. She started slightly when he pinched her side lightly.

"It means, pretty soon you're going to be really sore," he answered and kissed her knuckles. Starfire gave him a stern look.

"You worry about me too much," she stated, pulling back to cross her arms disapprovingly. Robin smirked and ran his hands down her arms before gently prying her arms apart and placing them around his neck once more. Starfire gave him a sly look and looked away resolutely. He pulled her closer, kissing her cheek and then her neck.

"You give me too many reasons to worry," he retorted, running his hands down her frame. Starfire shuddered slightly as he returned to her neck, kissing and sucking alternately. She bit her lip, feeling his hands wander her hips and legs. "Answer the question," he prompted between his kisses. Starfire shrugged rolling her shoulders slightly.

"I am not so sore now, but my shoulders are slightly tight," she answered. She tugged on the hairs on the nape of his neck, getting him to look at her. "However," she added, pressing her forehead against his, "My lips are not sore." She winked impishly at him as he grinned and nipped at her lower lip before kissing her firmly. She started slightly at the rough affection, but responded in kind, trying to press herself even closer. Her tongue ran along his bottom lip and he accepted her eagerly, pushing his own tongue into her mouth.

Starfire groaned and tangled her fingers in his hair, rising on her knees over him. Robin growled and gripped her hips, pulling her back down to him. "Stop that," he mumbled before kissing her again. Starfire giggled slightly, but the sound was lost in Robin's mouth. The Titan leader fell backward onto the couch, drawing his girlfriend down with him. His hands caressed some before finally coming to rest, one on her butt and the other on the back of her head.

Starfire pulled away some, catching her breath and wondering faintly what kind of trouble she would be in should someone walk in on them. True, Galifore had approved her relationship with Robin, but that did not necessarily give them license to do whatever they wished. It was the same as if a father on earth approved of his daughter's boyfriend. He still would be pissed should he find the two making out as passionately as Robin and Starfire were.

"Robin," Starfire mumbled, her thoughts jumbled, "you are feeling quite," her breathing hitched as he kissed her briefly, "Um, playful?" she finished, uncertain of her wording. Robin chuckled.

"Yeah, well, you're sexy when you're speaking Tamaranian," he whispered into her ear huskily. Starfire smirked slightly.

"Eerob?" she whispered.

"Yeah, really."

Starfire kissed him back and leaned forward, nuzzling his ear and beginning a stream of Tamaranian, low and just for him. Robin hummed his approval, listening to her voice waver whenever he caressed her just the right way or massaged the right spot. Suddenly, he registered upon what she was saying, not just how it was being said.

"_I know that is not really why," _she murmured intimately to him. Robin did not answer, just squeezed her bottom briefly. The hand she had lain on his chest twitched and she bit back a moan. _"Tell me, please,"_ she breathed. For a moment, Robin considered ignoring the question and drawing her thoughts away. He knew that Starfire was unlike him in the way that if he avoided a subject she would back off. But Starfire seemed to read his thoughts and pulled away suddenly, crossing her arms over his chest and gazing evenly at him. Robin sighed wearily and cupped her cheek gently.

"I _hated_ the way that ass kept manhandling you," he stated vehemently. Starfire frowned sadly and looked away. Of course she had hoped that maybe he had not been paying attention during that part of her battle. Of course, she had known this was foolish absurdity.

"I know," she answered simply.

"His hands were all over you!" Robin continued. Starfire shivered slightly, though her fear of Firrn had diminished amazingly now that she was with Robin.

"I remember."

Robin pushed her hair off of her neck, revealing a small bruise, Firrn's doing. "He kissed you."

"I was there."

Robin shook his head and leaned forward to kiss the offending mark softly, careful not to hurt her. He then kissed his way upward finally tugging on her ear with his teeth. "I am the only one who gets to kiss you," he finished forcefully, rolling so that he was over her and melding their lips together once more.

Neither was sure how long they remained that way, but both were very aware of when it ended.

Robin looked up swiftly as Starfire's door slammed open and a male voice shouted a Tamaranian swear. Starfire only had time to catch a glimpse of identical dark green eyes and black hair before the pair sprang forward. The first took hold of Robin, slamming him viciously against the opposite wall as the second, the one who had shouted, grabbed Starfire's upper arm, jerking her up to face him.

Starfire's eyes widened in confusion as she recognized Lirain, General Rutain's son, who glared at her in disgust. "You," he spat, "are nothing but a worthless slut." Starfire narrowed her eyes in anger, still just as confused. She grabbed his wrist, summoning a starbolt to that hand.

"Let go of me!" she snapped, releasing only a fraction of the heat she possessed. Lirain hissed in pain and threw her back towards the door, though she pushed off of the wall easily, rocketing back to him. She shoved him back onto the couch and kept going, jerking Lirain's twin off of Robin who fell easily to his feet and glanced back up at her.

Robin's eyes narrowed as he rolled her shoulder slowly, hey eyes never leaving his opponents. He recognized Lirain easily enough to know that he was the son of a general. He essentially worked for Starfire. He had attacked Starfire. "What's going on here?" he asked as the two brothers stood side-by-side looking livid. Starfire shook her head and lowered herself gently to the ground. She stepped forward, her eyes alight and her features terrifyingly smooth.

"I do not know, but I will find out," she muttered crossly. _"What is the meaning of this?"_ she said louder, in Tamaranian. Her voice was cold. Robin stood and crossed his arms, surveying them calculatingly. For the moment, he knew his role. Hold your own. Lirain grabbed a vase and hurled it at the wall, letting it shatter.

"_I will tell you what it is about!" _he shouted. _"Disgrace yourself as often as you wish, for as long as you wish. My brother and I may have even come to watch! But now you are disgracing Tamaran with your filthy Earth boy!" _Starfire darted forward, kicking Lirain's legs out from under him before he could blink. She slammed her fist against the floor next to his head, a move that was common in Tamaranian sparring matches. Starfire remembered it even after her years of absence. When she was little, the older warriors did it all the time and the youngest would often imitate it. She never before could grasp its significance. Now she understood. It was meant to intimidate, to demand respect. Starfire glared down at him, her knee planted in the center of his chest.

"_You will show respect to the leader of my unit!" _she snarled, outraged. _"And I will _not_ be disrespected before him." _

Robin's eyes were wide with surprise, but he remained silent. Tamaran was a complex place. Something was telling him that it was getting more complicated by the second.

"_And yet, you allow your '_leader'_ to grab and grope you like a common whore?"_ spoke the second man, identical to Lirain, but with a softer more malicious voice. _"I have seen girls from the lower harem conduct themselves with more dignity."_ He pulled an official looking envelope from his robes and held it out toward Starfire, whose eyes began to burn brighter. He sneered. _"The fact is, Koriand'r, that Tamaran will no longer allow you to disrespect the title of Princess of Tamaran, Second in Line for the Throne."_

Starfire swiftly and gracefully pulled away from Lirain and approached his brother. She rose into the air slightly to hover over him as she pushed her face close to his. _"Insolence!"_ she hissed. The man also began to hover, snarling.

"_Have I forgotten my manners?" _

"_Do not push me, Forain!" _

Forain suddenly took her by her shoulders and slammed her into the opposite wall. _"Oops,"_ he murmured, laughing drunkenly. Growling, Starfire kneed him in the groin and shoved him away. Lirain, however, was quickly shooting upward to take his place. He was cut short, however, when a red and yellow bird-a-rang grazed his side, freezing him in shock. Starfire looked down to Robin who caught the returning weapon effortlessly, his blank mask burning into Lirain. She dropped to his side as the two brothers began to circle the couple.

"_I asked you what this was about!"_ Starfire shouted, her anxiety getting the best of her and turning to rage. This was not Tamaran. These were boys she had grown up with, had sparred with, learned with. She and Lirain had been playful rivals. She and Forain had been bitter enemies. But even through all of the enmity, a level of respect had remained constant. Because no matter her personality, she was royalty and they were not. Respect was the only thing keeping Tamaran from complete chaos. And the twins' behavior was going quite a way past disrespect.

Forain crossed his arms. "_That letter is directly from Rik. It explains everything. Read it."_

Her fingers trembling slightly, Starfire tore open the envelope, her eyes darting furiously across the paper. Robin spared a glance at it over her shoulder, but did not recognize the strange characters before him. Starfire's finger's clenched suddenly and she dropped the paper to the floor. The light from her eyes had been extinguished and her face was pale with shock. She pressed her lips together in a grim line.

"_Get out,"_ she whispered. Lirain swooped forward and glared down at her.

"_We have been ordered to escort you to them!"_ he snapped back. Starfire lowered her head.

"Robin, step back, please," she murmured in English. Robin's eyes remained fixed on Lirain, but he stepped back hesitantly. Starfire looked up at Lirain, her eyes fiercely bright. The air around her began to shimmer with heat and her hair swayed softly. Robin knew what was coming and took another step back.

"_I said get OUT!"_ she shouted and released a bright flare from her hands in eyes, releasing low voltage, but bright starbolts around her. Lirain and Forain started and retreated out of the door.

As they disappeared Starfire powered down and angry, desperate, and anxious tears sprang into her eyes. _"And tell the leaders that I will not be treated like a criminal. I am still a member of this royal family," _she shouted.

An obnoxious laugh sounded from the hallway as Robin's arms encircled her waist, trying to protect her from whatever crisis was clawing at her now.

"_For now,"_ they heard Lirain laugh. Starfire shook her head, pulling away from Robin.

"Indeed," she whispered shakily, sinking weakly to the floor. "For now."

* * *

PleasePleasePleasePleeeeease don't think that's I'm making Starfire into a conceited "I'm-the-Princess" kind of character. I was trying to bring out the fact that this is her life and her culture and her planet and it is all _crumbling _right in front of her. And she's stuck right in the middle. Essentially, she IS the princess and that amount of dissrespect is not due to a princess.

Does that make sense?

Well anyway, everyone will find out what was in this mysterious note by next chapter!! I'll try not to take so long this time, though...


	14. Chapter 13 ::Choose::

Hiya! I finished the chapter. Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Chapter 13 :Choose:

'_Remember your lessons. Remember where you are. You are no longer on Earth. You are Princess Koriand'r iy And'nia, Second in Line to the Throne.' _Starfire took a last look at her friends, searching for a hint of support in their eyes. But all she saw was confusion and apprehension. Frowning, she instead turned to the large door before them, flanked by three soldiers. Starfire inhaled deeply as they approached it, trying to calm her thin-stretched nerves.

The soldiers exchanged weary glances as the Princess and her friends approached. Starfire stood straight before them, her gaze moving from one to another and each time it was a soldier who looked away first.

"I am here, responding to my summons. Rik is present already, I assume," Starfire stated quietly. The soldiers exchanged looks once again. Finally one of them stepped forward and bowed to her.

"Your highness, we were instructed only to admit yourself," he said respectfully. Starfire tilted her head.

"My team will accompany me," she said simply. The first soldier seemed to look toward his comrades for help, still uncertain. Starfire narrowed her eyes and moved forward, making no response as the soldiers moved aside at her approach. She laid a hand on the door handle and looked back, giving the Titans a significant look. She turned to the soldier who had spoken with a respectful look. "I am sorry, sir, but I was not making a request." She pushed the doors open without another word, ignoring the part of her that was itching to turn and apologize for such rudeness.

'_But I cannot be Starfire here. Just for now, Starfire… Starfire must wait,'_ she told herself firmly.

Princess Koriand'r iy And'nia, Second in Line to the Throne, was not meek, was not a coward. For years she had been taught her place, lessons that thrilled and excited her and lessons that left her swooning and nauseous. And no matter how much Starfire protested, insisted that no one person could be above another, Princess Koriand'r iy And'nia, Second in Line to the Throne, knew. Her place was above that of Rik.

Koriand'r was sure to take measured steps into the large open space that opened up before them. She stared straight ahead of her, not making eye contact with any of the leaders, but neither looking feebly toward her feet. The floor around her was wide and circular. Sitting above it all on a raised platform at one end of the room was Rik, glaring solemnly down at her. Lirain and Forain stood below them, at attention. Koriand'r came to a stop in the center of the room and heard the Titans do the same a few feet behind her.

Suddenly, a pang of guilt passed through her. She continued to question herself even as she stood there. Should she have involved them in this? Would they suffer because of her? Would _Earth_ suffer because of her?

"_Please understand me,"_ she had pled with them. _"I am… I am most likely on trial against Tamaranian __warriors__. We are no longer on Earth. If you are pushed, you __must__ push back. If you are fought, fight back. Do not worry about me, or what your actions will mean for me. Just remember yourselves. Do you understand? __This is not Earth__."_

She hoped her whispered and rushed warnings would be enough to get them all through this.

"What _exactly _do you think you are doing here?" The harsh question rang out suddenly from one of the older leaders. Koriand'r could not remember his name. She lifted her chin defiantly, staring boldly at the leaders. There were seven in all. All she had to do was show reason to two of them, just two.

For Rik alone, it took a six-to-one vote to dethrone a princess.

"I was unjustly ordered here and told to let myself be escorted like a common criminal. That is what I am doing here." She was sure to keep her voice even. Cold. She knew her place. She had to show them theirs.

One of the Leaders clenched his jaw angrily, though he did not reprimand her. He only pointed toward the door she had just come through, back toward where she knew the Titans were standing. "Fool," he sneered. "I know why you are here. Why are they? Your orders were to come alone."

Koriand'r narrowed her eyes. She had not changed into one of her more formal gowns, the way that Rik had instructed her to. She had refused to put on the heart-shaped crown that was her birthright. Her hair hung down, not arranged in the elaborate style of such a heavily solemn meeting. She had brought the Titans along with her while her orders had been to come alone. The meaning of all of this defiance was quite clear.

'_I am not your's to command and control,'_ she raged silently, still outraged by this blatant disrespect. At least in the beginning the remarks had been whispered, measured. None had been so bold as to speak such insolence to her face. That was changing. Koriand'r narrowed her eyes. _'It is the other way around!'_

"Until you all have charged me formally with whatever nonsense you have made up and announced a verdict against me, I remain a part of the royal family and may have anyone I choose accompany me anywhere I like. My teammates shall remain," she answered quietly and vehemently.

Another of Rik's members gave her a sticky sweet smile. She remembered him, General Thr'om. His clear indigo eyes and red hair were often thought of as handsome. He was possibly the most insincere and fake of the entire council.

"Please understand, Princess, we only want your friends to be safe. We all know how delicate humans can be," he said, a wide, condescending smile plastered onto his face. Lirain stooped suddenly and grabbed a small stone.

"A Tamaranian trial is nowhere for a weak Earthling!" he snapped as he darted into the air, flinging the rock forcefully at the Titans, probably hoping to scatter them. Angered, Starfire's eyes and hands ignited, but Raven seemed to be quicker. A cloud of darkness sprang upward and enveloped the projectile, flicking backward before hurling it straight back toward Lirain, who dodged it deftly. Koriand'r saw with satisfaction that a few of the leaders looked shocked, impressed with such a simple trick. Raven's hands lowered slowly, her eyes still black with gathered energy. The Titans' faces were stony.

Koriand'r gave Rik a withering look. "You would do well not to refer to my teammates and friends as anything less than noble, courageous, and strong," she said. "They stay." Her voice became hard and finite. General Thr'om gave her blank smile, though his eyes burned angrily. Yet another member, named General Ryer'n, gave her a hard glare, leaning forward. His eyes were green and his hair red, the traditional look of a Tamaranian. He was known also to have the traditional temperament of a Tamaranian.

"Let the humans remain," he ordered impatiently. "If you are so eager to have them here then know that any harm that befalls them is your fault. And we shall begin the trial, because you seem so damn ready." Koriand'r clenched her jaw to keep from saying anything. The general pointed to the small hole on the far wall, made by Raven and the rock she had pitched. "Why is it that you were not able to destroy that? You do, after all, posses this mysterious and destructive power," he sneered. General Thr'om folded his hands neatly before him.

"You see, Your Highness, a warrior princess must be prepared at all times. We feel that perhaps, Earth has been less than beneficial to you and—"

"Together we battle monsters and villains that make you all look like children in comparison! I had no reason to think that they were in danger because this idiotic bastard tossed a rock!" Koriand'r snarled, advancing a few steps. General Rutain, who had been watching the trial quietly until then, stood suddenly. Lirain and Forain's hands curled into fists, but General Rutain extended his arm curtly.

"Princess," he began, "You will control yourself! May I remind you that the father of that 'bastard' you speak of is present? Tell me that Earth has not erased the etiquette that we worked so hard to instill in you," he said with a quiet intensity.

Koriand'r's face flushed, not from embarrassment, but from anger. She wanted to scream at them, _'And what of your manners, your respect? What has life envying the Emperor done to that lesson?'_ But it was a complicated game that she played with Rik and instead she dipped her head. "I apologize, General," she ground out, keeping her body rigid and trying to keep herself under control. "Forgive me." General Rutain nodded and sat down once again.

"Now, Princess Koriand'r iy And'nia, Second in Line to the Throne, we believe that your time on Earth, under the leadership of mediocre commanders, has made you unfit to rule our great Tamaran. We also believe that your time on Earth, with the Psions, and with the Gordanians have skewed your sense of honor and dignity. Your reply to these accusations?"

Koriand'r's hands and eyes ignited instantly and she dropped into a fighting stance on instinct. She had no idea why they continued to insist on insulting not only her boyfriend, but her leader. They of all people could understand loyalty to one's commanding officer. They knew the weight of insulting one's leader. It was unacceptable in the Tamaranian military, in life in general, and it was still unacceptable to her.

Behind her she heard a rustle and Robin's angry intake of breath. But he did not move. Koriand'r was not sure why and after a moment of thought she was grateful. She had to keep things simple, between she and Rik. The Titans had to be strong, it was true, but they did not have to be so bold.

"You will retract that statement!" she barked. General Rutain looked as if he were thinking of just ignoring her her, but a member on his left gave him a look and he nodded graciously.

"Granted, I was out of bounds. However, it cannot be disputed that the leadership that you have previously been under is nowhere near our standards. You have suffered under his guidance," he loudly accused. Starfire angrily drew herself to her full height.

"Your lies sicken me," she spat. "Robin is an exceptional leader and teacher. I am X'hal-blessed to have the opportunity to serve under him!" Forain dove at her suddenly, pushing her to the ground and trying to pin her there. But she used his momentum to her advantage, flipping them both and slamming Forain viciously to the ground. But she did not have time to gloat her victory because Forain grabbed the wrist that had been pinning him to the floor and yanked as he twisted, switching them once more. As they rolled he took hold of her other arm and crossed them both over her chest, holding her down. He smirked spitefully down at her, pushing his face uncomfortably close to her's.

"Under him, you say? Tell me, princess, do I teach you the way that he does?"

Koriand'r drew a sharp breath in shock that such a comment would be made in Rik's presence. She wanted to believe that no matter how unruly the leaders had become that they would still condone such an audacity. She almost thought of waiting and letting Rik deal with him and saving her energy.

Until she heard a soft chuckle, not from the Titans and not from Lirain.

With a cry of outrage, Koriand'r let her power explode, literally, throwing Forain off of her and startling the elders, though the Titans seemed as if they knew this was coming. Robin was breathing harshly, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Koriand'r almost seemed to mirror him as she advanced toward Forain and Rik slowly.

"That is all! You are finished! By X'hal, I swear that is the last time I let you share your little joke. That is the last time you will stick your noses into _my_ personal business and judge the decisions I have made by your standards! I swear it by X'hal, do you hear me?" she shouted, her voice heavy with emotion. Her hands were trembling slightly no matter how hard she clenched them, trying to hold them still. Silence reigned in the large room, too large. Finally though, General Rutain laid his hands flat on the table and leaned back in his seat.

"Fine, Princess, since you have brought it up yourself, we shall address that issue. Your courting of the Earth Leader, Robin. What is your explanation?"

Koriand'r sneered. "I owe you no explanation. You explain yourselves to me. Not only have I heard these rumors, but my team has heard and inquired them. I want you to explain to them how the great Tamaran that I am repeatedly telling them about has reduced itself to petty name-calling and gossip. Tell them, for I am too ashamed of you to tell them myself!"

General Ryer'n slammed his palms onto the table, rising from his seat. "Hold your tongue, _child_! How dare you presume to know of Tamaran's glory! How dare you presume that _we_ are the ones to be ashamed of here while you go gallivanting throughout the galaxy, whoring your body to X'hal knows how many repulsive creat—"

The general's words were cut off as Koriand'r darted forward, pinning him against the opposite wall. Her eyes were almost white with her fury and General Ryer'n felt the heat from her eyes and hands wash over his face.

"It is possible, my general, that you did not hear me. I said that I would no longer allow you or _anyone_, no matter their species, to defile my honor in such a way," Koriand'r whispered, her voice deadly. "Now, if you have a problem with my travels through the galaxy, perhaps you should have fought a bit harder to take me back from the Psions and my mother. Rik, after all, was in charge before Princess Kormand'r took back the throne.

"Perhaps that is why I am being met with such hostility here. For years, the Emperor's power was yours, but my sister and I came and took the power back, restored the bloodline! Tell me, great General, is the real reason of my trial my behavior, or your greed?" She was almost shouting by the time she finished, still pinning the General there. With narrowed eyes, the general threw her off of him and attempted to slap her. Koriand'r pushed his blows away, once, twice, but he caught her on the third try, throwing her viciously to the ground.

The stone floor cracked upon her impact, but she was up within seconds, watching her opponent with weary eyes. Ryer'n landed before her, stalking forward slowly and blatantly ignoring the protests of his fellow generals. Koriand'r had been waiting tensely for him to strike her again, but he instead reached out swiftly and grabbed her by the upper arm, pulling her close.

"I am being quite gentle with you right now, brat," he hissed as Koriand'r refused to look away. "But be forewarned. If you challenge me once again, I _will_ accept. Earth may have made you bold, but do not make the mistake of thinking that your pet earthling can teach you to exceed your elders. I advise you once more: _hold your tongue_!" Koriand'r snarled and twisted hard, kicking toward the general's head, but he took the blow with his shoulder, sliding back a few feet. The pair proceeded toward each other, until there was suddenly a tall, muscular woman between them, giving them both withering looks.

"Enough of this!" she snapped. General Sinture was the only female member of Rik, and for the reason of sheer rarity, the most respected. Ryer'n glowered but did not move to disobey her. Koriand'r had the urge to sigh in relief, but she held it in, resolving instead to step daintily out of her fighting position. She gave General Ryer'n a glare before inclining her head to General Sinture. The woman only sniffed disdainfully in her direction. "You both behave like children. You disgrace you positions. Now, if the princess had no more arguments in her behalf, then I suggest that we make our final vote," the woman snapped.

General Ryer'n harrumphed and flew back to his seat. Koriand'r stood straight backed, hoping that she had played the game as skillfully as she thought she had. She had stood up for herself, she had sustained in a physical fight between herself and a Leader, and most of all she had refused to back down. Her large green eyes, a perfect example of a Tamaranian woman's eyes, burned intensely into the members of Rik. "I have no objections," she said finally.

General Sinture nodded her approval and took her seat once more. General Rutain, who was one of the head council members, took a sweeping gaze over his fellow members.

"We, the members of Rik, Council to the Emperor, do accuse Princess Koriand'r iy And'nia, Second in Line to the Throne, of abandoning the principles and lessons of Tamaran. We accuse her of swearing allegiance to an institution other than the Tamaranian Empire. We accuse her of becoming unfit to rule." He turned his sight on her, the official speech booming throughout the room.

"Princess Koriand'r iy And'nia, Second in Line to the Throne, you have deemed these accusation untruths, correct?"

"Correct," Koriand'r answered stiffly.

"And have you found this trial fair? Have you been permitted to defend yourself as is the law of Tamaran?"

Koriand'r narrowed her eyes. She could not say no. She could not say that this hearing was rigged against her and that it was an uphill battle from the start. She could not say that the disrespect she had received throughout the hearing had made the entire thing a joke, with her as the punch line. She could not say this because it was not in the script.

"It has." Her insides trembled as she said it, an ominous feeling passing over her. General Rutain turned his gaze away from her.

"And you, council members, have you each come to a decision, one made of your own accord and influenced by nothing other than the arguments made here?" Each member made a gesture of confirmation and General Rutain nodded. "Now, will you please stand upon your turn should you find Princess Koriand'r iy And'nia, Second in Line to the Throne, innocent of the crimes we accuse her of."

Because he was the furthest left, General Rutain was expected to go first. He sat and turned his face away. A guilty vote.

The next, one she did not know, also turned his head away.

It came to General Ryer'n. Guilty.

And the next voted guilty.

The next was General Thr'om. Koriand'r fully expected him to turn his face away, like all of the others, but he gave her a calculating look before standing. "You have done wrong, Princess, but I believe that a second chance is in order," he said with an inviting smile. Koriand'r suppressed a shiver. She could see his true intentions in his eyes. He just wanted her punished.

The next council member seemed not to share General Thr'om's opinion. He sneered in her direction and turned away. Koriand'r's eyes were wide with fright by then, no matter how much she told herself that she had to maintain a semblance of calm. The possibility that she had ruled out more than once throughout the trial became very real to her. She would be dethroned. She could be banished or disgraced. They could effectively _end_ her life on Tamaran.

The last voter was General Sinture. If she turned her face away from Koriand'r in shame, it was over and Koriand'r would be at the mercy of the court to find her sentencing. But if she stood… if only she stood.

It seemed like the General stared at her for an eternity, her critical gaze unreadable. And then, agonizingly slowly, she stood.

The council members who had voted before her erupted in a fit of shouting. Accusatory fingers were pointed angrily toward Sinture and at each other. For a moment, Koriand'r thought her knees would buckle with the relief she felt. She knew her face betrayed her, for the general gave her a stern look.

"Do not misunderstand my vote, Princess," she said sternly. Her eyes were hard set on Koriand'r and she ignored the shouting all around her. "You will have to work to regain our trust." Koriand'r gazed upward at her, having regained the calm facade that she was forced to maintain. She nodded evenly and turned her gaze on General Rutain who had conducted the entire affair.

The general's face was splotched red with anger and his lips were pursed furiously. He stood stiffly, taking great breaths slowly through his nose. "I… you have earned your innocence, Princess," he said slowly. Koriand'r narrowed her eyes.

"Then exonerate me formally," she answered. She could see the general's fists clench and he looked as if he were barely restraining the foulest of curses.

"As is the law," he muttered furiously to himself. "Princess Koriand'r iy And'nia your innocence—"

"—Has yet to be assured, if you ask me."

Koriand'r's blood turned to ice in her veins as she turned to face her sister, who stood framed by the light of the hallway. Kormand'r's hands were propped on her hips as she smirked cockily at the scene before her. All of Rik behind her dropped into simultaneous bows, but Koriand'r and the Titans remained upright, shocked. Kormand'r sighed softly and approached her sister. She did not acknowledge the generals above them or the Titans. Her eyes remained locked on Koriand'r.

Softly, Kormand'r touched the princess' shoulder. Koriand'r's eyes were wide with uncertainty. Kormand'r's words had been accusing, yet her actions were surprisingly soft, almost caring. Biting her lip, Koriand'r touched her hand on her shoulder, conveying her silent question.

Suddenly, Kormand'r's soft and gentle touch tightened painfully and she threw Koriand'r mercilessly to the ground. Koriand'r cried out, more in surprise than pain. Kormand'r refused to look down at her and flicked imaginary dirt from her outfit.

"Remember your manners, dear sister, and learn when to bow," she said lightly, disinterested. She turned her attention away from Koriand'r and to Rik who were still caught in their bow. Kormand'r sneered. "Relax, we are all friends here, right?"

Koriand'r stood, catching Kormand'r's arm as she moved away from her. "You know, your highness, no matter how I would have appreciated the support before now, I am innocent now. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" she asked, her eyes bright and narrow. No matter how agreeable Kormand'r had been since her arrival on Tamaran, Koriand'r was still wary of her.

Kormand'r chuckled musically, her laugh, though infatuating, was dark. "Yes, well, my visit is professional, darling." She pulled her arm away and stepped lightly around Koriand'r. She began playing in Koriand'r's hair, braiding and unbraiding and gathering it into a bundle. "You see, my dear," she began as she leaned in close to her and wrapped her arms around her affectionately. "I have come to find you guilty."

Once more, Rik began shouting, accusing, and cursing. Kormand'r silenced them with a wave of her hand. "As is my right as Crown-Princess of Tamaran," she finished authoritatively.

"Of course, the rights of a Crown-Princess!" General Ryer'n shouted angrily. "This is an affair of Rik. Stay out of it!" he commanded. Kormand'r's gaze turned icy and a pair of starbolts appeared at her hands.

"Take caution, general! Challenge me and I will make certain that all know who deserves power more," she snapped. A begrudging silence fell over the group. "Now," Kormand'r said as she began to pace, her gaze lazy, but deadly nonetheless, "Rik has done the accusing, as is their privilege alone, but it is my right to…" she sighed, "step in when I feel that Rik has made a mistake." She turned to gaze stoically at Koriand'r. "And you _have_ made a mistake."

Anger rushed through Koriand'r suddenly and she advanced toward Kormand'r. "It is not enough that I have risked everything for my planet! I am innocent, as Rik will tell you. You are too late!"

Kormand'r shook her head, smirking. "You will find out that a Crown-Princess is never too late." She lifted off from the ground, leaving Koriand'r behind. "And I, Crown-Princess Kormand'r iy And'nia, First in Line to the Throne, find you guilty of these crimes you are accused of—"

Koriand'r cursed, recognizing the beginning of the official conviction. There were many things on Tamaran that were flimsy and uncertain, but there were some things, like the conviction, that were absolutely final. Once it was recited before Rik, there was no retrial, no appeal. It was done. "Kormand'r!" she shouted, but her sister forged onward. Rik had become strangely silent, straining to hear every word of such an official dialogue.

Kormand'r ignored her. "You have declared this trial fair and lawful by the laws set forth by our Emperor and those who went before him."

"You know the ritual, I had no choice!" Koriand'r interrupted, getting more and more desperate by the moment. Still, Kormand'r ignored her.

"And in finding her guilty, I will sentence her as I see fit. But I am not a cruel ruler. Seeing as Earth seems to be the cause of these problems, her disloyalty, her promiscuity, her lack of respect to her superiors—,"

"That is a lie!"

"Princess Koriand'r should be permanently banned from leaving Tamaran!"

For a moment after was said, Koriand'r almost thought she forgot to breathe. Shock froze her to her spot, cleared her mind and she suddenly could not understand what was being said to her. She stumbled backward, as if she had been hit, shaking her head weakly. She was speechless, but Robin seemed not to be.

"No! No, you can't do that!" he snapped furiously. Kormand'r's smirk seemed to get even wider, if possible.

"Or," she began slowly, teasingly, "She should be banished, stripped of her title, and discounted before our allies and the leaders of Earth."

This seemed to have the opposite effect on Koriand'r and comprehension darkened her eyes at once. She flew forward, taking hold once more of her sister's arm. She glared hard at the woman before her, no longer a sister, not anymore, not after all of the trials they had faced against each other. It had torn them apart.

"Blackfire!" she exclaimed, feeling pathetic, pleading as she was. But Blackfire was dangling her happiness before her, ready to snatch it away at any moment. "Do not do this, Blackfire!"

Kormand'r shook her off of her, her gaze cold. "I sentence the Princess to choose. Which will it be, Starfire? A life without your precious Earth: your beloved Teen Titans? Or will you be banished in disgrace? I give you the choice that you yourself denied me." Blackfire's eyes narrowed and she turned away, heading out of the room the way she came. The Titans saw her clearly as she passed them. Her eyes were bitter and detached.

"So choose."

* * *

Oh no! Has this been Blackfire's horrible plan from the begging? I don't know(well, yeah I do...)! Stay tuned!! 


	15. Chapter 14 ::Duties::

Sorry, the first time I uploaded this chapter it messed up in the fonts. here's the correct version.

* * *

Chapter 14 :Duties:

"What kind of crap is this? She can't do this, can she?"

"Isn't Starfire a princess too? Can't she overrule her somehow?"

Starfire closed her eyes tighter, desperately wanting their frantic and confused outbursts to stop. She bit back a whimper and massaged her temples helplessly. "I cannot overrule her," she said slowly, keeping a tight reign on her tone. With slow deliberate breaths, she clung to what feeble ray of composure she retained. She refused to be weak now, now that she needed her strength so desperately.

She flinched slightly when she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder, Raven's silent encouragement. Blackfire had left a bruise there while her fight with General Ryer'n had left her with two more bruises and a small cut. Starfire found it bitterly ironic that she had been marked just as much by her own people as her mother and the Psions. Raven felt her flinch and pushed back the strap of her shirt, frowning down at the small bruise. Starfire shook her head, sensing her thoughts. "It will heal on its own," she muttered.

Raven was motionless for a moment, before she nodded, sitting down next to her friend. "But why can't you overrule her?" she asked, trying to keep herself calm for Starfire's sake.

"Because Blackfire is first in line and I am second. She is more vital, and so more powerful. If it had to be her word against mine, hers would win every time. _I_ am the dispensable one," Starfire snapped, though she instantly regretted it. She bit her lip. "I am sorry," she whispered, as an afterthought.

"Galifore, you're above Blackfire, aren't you. Why can't you reverse her decision or something?" Robin asked, his voice subdued from the other side of the room. He had held himself back from the others ever since their exit from the trial. None of the other's dared to try to speak to him. His masked gaze had somehow become harsh and angry. Galifore shook his head, his large shaggy beard whipping back and forth.

"Because Rik accused her first and then Blackfire confirmed it, the decision made carries the weight of them both. There are some things that even a Grand Ruler cannot do," he answered gravely. He turned his solemn eyes toward Starfire, who refused to look at anything but the opulent rug under her booted feet. "But Koriand'r, why did you not come to me as soon as you received your summons? I could have helped you, I could have done _something_!"

Starfire felt anger flare inside of her and at the same time she also felt confusion at such intense anger at someone she loved so dearly. Rigidly, she controlled herself. "Come to you, Galifore? And what message does that send Rik then? That I am incapable of fighting my own battles? Or that I will do nothing without the input of the Grand Ruler himself? You know as well as I, my knorfka, that I would have been announcing my own conviction," she stated softly. Galifore rubbed his face and groaned harshly.

"I do not care! There must have been something I could have done!"

Beastboy glanced around the room incredulously. "Why does everyone keep talking like we can't do anything _now_? Starfire put Blackfire down once before, didn't she? Why can't you just fight her like you did before and kick her butt? You can kick her out again!" Beastboy argued vehemently. Galifore growled suddenly.

"They have truly left us with no other choice. Rik declared that fight, Princess Starfire's challenge for the throne, invalid and that was how they allowed Crown-Princess Blackfire back on Tamaran. They had to do quite a bit of bending around the rules in order to let her back without removing me from the throne."

"So it is not possible for me to fight Blackfire over this. There is nothing, _absolutely nothing_, for me to do. I have to choose."

There was silence in the room for a moment, before Galifore stood resolutely. "I am going to _do_ something! There has to be something; hope cannot be beyond us," he said, heading toward the door. He paused before leaving and cast a sympathetic look in Starfire's direction. "Wait for me, princess," he muttered and left swiftly. Starfire's eyes went wide and she stood just as the door closed.

"No, Galifore…!" she began, but she sensed the determination in his voice and fell back hopelessly. Shaking her head, she began to pace about the room, straightening things mindlessly. It had suddenly occurred to her that she had better start do anything and everything, lest she begin thinking about the situation at hand. No matter what hopelessness she offered her friends, how final she tried to make it seem, she could not accept this.

She could potentially become her own jailer.

Finally, taking a shaky breath, she addressed her friends, "Please… I think you should go also. I must think," she muttered. The Titans shot each other worried glances, none of them brave (or heartless) enough to object the helpless-sounding request.

She was still faced toward the bookshelf as she heard the silent shuffling of her best friends in any world. She heard a couple of them draw loud breaths, as if they were about to say something, but each time they stopped short. They could think of nothing to say. Finally, she heard her door creak open and close and silence became her only company. Or so she thought.

"So that's it then? You're just going to pick? Us or them, huh?"

Starfire froze momentarily in the act of replacing some old books, but then resumed deliberately. When she had finished her task, she stood straight and combed through her hair with her fingers.

"Robin, you intend to be angry with me over this? Do you truly?" she asked without turning around. She stared hard at her bookshelf, filled to bursting with books, but with none of them read. She had been too young. The thought of her stolen childhood suddenly surged her mind and she felt her eyes moisten. Only pure obstinacy kept the tears at bay. "Do you honestly think that I would put _myself_ through this?"

Robin tried to soften his tone, but all he managed to do was produce a horribly dead and light sounding voice. "Hey, who's angry? I'm just trying to get it here, Starfire," he answered. "You're not going to fight this, are you? You're just going to roll over and let them tear you apart?"

Starfire tensed and turned, finding Robin standing there, leaned casually against the wall by the door. She stared questioningly at him for a moment, but his own gaze was turned away resolutely, focused instead on the view outside her balcony. Next to him was a vanity, beautiful in craftsmanship and the best money could buy. Of course, no one had ever really used it. She went to it then and began touching the things there, picking them up and moving them to somewhere else. She bit her lip as she did, watching Robin out of the corner of her eye.

She knew him, maybe more than he thought she did, and maybe less. What she did know was that Robin did not, would not, or could not understand the choice she faced. She bit her lip. "I do not wish to be rude, however, as selfish as it may seem, I do not need this right now, Robin," she retorted quietly.

Robin's jaw clenched suddenly, holding back the first angry reply that came to his mind. "Then answer the question!" he snapped finally. "Yes or no, do you intend to let this go and _let_ them make you do this?"

Starfire's hands clenched around the brush she had been fiddling with and the delicate porcelain cracked with a soft _chink_. "I have told you before that I cannot fight them! My only choice is to choose!" she snapped, slamming the brush down on the vanity. Robin shook his head and grabbed her shoulder, turning her to face him.

"You _always_ have another choice!"

Starfire shoved herself away from her boyfriend (though she could hardly think of him as that at the moment). Under any other circumstances, she would have taken to the air, if only to gain a few inches on him. It was an intimidation tactic that had been drilled into her until it was second nature. But she had nothing to fuel her flight. Her eyes were easily alight, though.

"No, Robin! You always have another choice on _Earth_," she snapped back. "Stop it," she hissed, "because you are not helping me. I don't know what you think you are doing, but it is not helping." Her voice was waveringly vehement.

Robin cupped her cheek in his hand, not hurting her, but pulling her closer almost commandingly. "I _think_ I'm trying to get you to _wake up_!" he answered as Starfire pulled away angrily once more. His hands clenched into tight fists and his brow creased into a frown. "You're right, okay? I don't know anything about Tamaran, but I do know you. I know how you think, Starfire!"

Starfire spun on her heel and stormed toward her balcony doors, growling to herself, "I have had enough of this. You know _nothing_ of me or the responsibilities that I carry; the people that depend on me!" she spat. "I knew you could never understand." Robin surged after her, grabbing her arm just as she reached the open air of her balcony. He forced a dark laugh.

"You see? That's what I'm talking about!" he chuckled humorlessly. Starfire tried to pull away again, but he held tight and pulled her closer, keeping up his tirade. "You're thinking about what you're _expected_ to do, right? What's good for Galifore? What's good for Blackfire? What's good for all of fucking Tamaran—"

"And who am I suppose to concern myself with then?" Starfire snarled. "I am their princess! I am supposed to make sure my planet is taken care of! Tell me, since you seem to know all things, who else then should I be thinking of?"

"How about YOURSELF?" Robin shouted finally. His voice dropped down to barely a whisper and he leveled a hard glare at her. "Your duty may bind you to Tamaran, but you and I both know that you could _never _be happy on Tamaran. I don't care who you used to be, how happy you used to be here, you are not that girl anymore!"

A tremble began in Starfire as she faced the reality that she had been shying away from. She should have expected it to be Robin to jerk her around and force her to face the truth. Because that had been Blackfire's point all along; she had said it plainly enough. Her choice had never been between one planet and another.

It was her duty, which she had always taken great pains to fulfill, and her happiness.

Slowly, Starfire lifted her head to meet Robin's harsh gaze. Her eyes were narrow and guarded, because she knew he knew and he knew she knew he knew.

"There is _more_ to life than what makes me happy," she stated simply and without anger. But instead of calming him, as she had hoped it would, the statement seemed to upset him even more.

"And there is a difference between taking responsibility and being manipulated and guilt-tripped into making a _bad decision_, a decision that could tear you apart and leave you with _nothing_," he snarled back at her, releasing her forcefully, pushing her away in the process. "Those guys in there? They couldn't care less about you! Damnit, Starfire! Look at what they're doing to you!" Starfire turned away, unable to face that.

"They do not understand what they are doing. They think you are bad for me— for Tamaran— and—"

"Get over that! They know we're not about that! They're trying to get you out of the way, but Blackfire got you an out! I swear it, if you pick them they'll find another way to get rid of you. I don't want that for you!"

This seemed to make Starfire angry. "They are trying to do their jobs! They want what's best for Tamaran, as any would expect me to!" she snapped. "This has nothing to do with me!"

"This has _everything_ to do with you! They know how you are, Starfire! They know the way you've been raised!" Starfire shook her head once more and turned away. Robin growled and followed her, cornering her against the balcony rail. He stepped closer, trapping her by leaning on one hand on either side of her.

"Don't you get it? They're trying to _break_ you, Starfire,"

Starfire twisted away in an almost helpless way. "Stop it!" she shouted back. But Robin continued.

"—and you're _letting them_!"

Starfire's eyes alighted and she shoved him away and forced herself to fly, darting away, to where, even she did not know.

Robin clenched his jaw and stormed out of the room, taking no notice of the single tear she had left behind.

-!-

Of course, none of the Titans had laid eyes on Keenyara since her fight with Raven and they were all in varying degrees of relief for that. The girl in question had been wandering aimlessly throughout the palace, and had finally come to rest on the Western Tower, the palace's highest peak. For hours, she had sat there, thinking about everything, and yet, nothing in particular. Her fight with Raven had annoyed her, though. No matter what she turned her thoughts to, the same question continued to plague her.

_Why'd that jackass angel choose me?_

Keenyara crossed her arms over her knees and placed her chin on her arms, gazing at the sky thoughtfully. More than ever the weight of her task, to protect and guide two children in a setting where it would be in her best interest to cooperate and become part of a team, never mind that she was somewhat of a child herself. Each of her "friends" had been with her in the Heavens when the ArchAngel had made his assignment. She had no problem admitting that she was in no reality the logical choice, when one companion had such a persuasive demeanor, and another had enough patience to last an eternity. So why on the Earth and Heavens above had she been picked when so much was counting on this success?

Suddenly, Keenyara rolled her eyes, sighing in annoyance. The nighttime air, which had at first been so still and calm, began to ripple furiously, alerting her to someone approaching.

The tower on which she rested had a cone-shaped point that slopes shallowly before dropping off to form the walls of the structure. It was there on the very rim that Keenyara perched and watched at Starfire touched down lightly on the very tip of the roof, apparently unaware of her presence.

Starfire groaned and massaged her temples almost angrily. She could not remember her last full night's sleep. For what seemed like an eternity there had been one obstacle to overcome after another. Before, she had known she could always count on her friends to stand by her, no matter what. She could not fool herself this time, however. She knew if she chose Tamaran, her connection with the Titans would fade and eventually disappear.

All of a sudden, revelations began to pour into her mind, making her light-headed. What if she left and some villain resurfaced? She would not be there to protect her friends, and there would be no guarantee that she would be permitted to go back to them if they needed her. What if Slade came back and she was not there to help, or even to pull Robin out of the maddening obsession that claimed him ever so often? Suddenly, a block of ice dropped into her stomach as it occurred to her that perhaps that was really what took her away from the Titans. What if _this_ was the catalyst that made the future that she had witnessed possible? As many obligations she had to Tamaran, she had just as many toward the Titans.

Suddenly feeling sick, Starfire crouched down to sit, but was startled when Keenyara spoke.

"You're not looking so chipper up there, Princess," Keenyara commented, a single eyebrow arched. She chuckled when Starfire jumped slightly. "What's with the despairing demeanor?" Starfire turned to her and gave her one of the most forlorn gazes the wind elemental had ever encountered. This piqued her interest. "You look like shit. Did someone die?" she asked as she turned away, motioning to the space beside her.

Slowly and with a sigh, Starfire floated down to sit next to Keenyara. _'It may help me to discuss this with someone objective…'_ she thought and began to recount what happened after Keenyara had her tantrum.

"And now, Robin is surely furious with me and I must choose between Earth, my home and where I have built the only life I know, and Tamaran, my planet, my culture, the place that I can come back to if anything should go wrong!" Starfire finished breathlessly, staring with wide eyes at Keenyara. To her surprise, the girl had turned out to be an adequate listener and did not interrupt her more than a few times to ask surprisingly insightful questions.

Keenyara nodded slowly and then shot Starfire a sideways glance. "And then, there's the little problem that you tend to favor what's best for everyone else in the universe rather than what's best for you," she commented. Starfire looked away.

"Am I that obvious?"

"Yep."

"Is that so wrong?"

Keenyara tilted her head thoughtfully. "In this dimension and the kind of life you live, no. It's called noble around here. But there are times when 'selfishness' pays more for you and for everyone around you." Starfire bit her lower lip and sighed.

"And in your dimension? What is such a philosophy called there?" she asked quietly. Keenyara snorted and a dark look overtook her face.

"A death wish," she answered with a kind of dark humor. Starfire gave her a questioning glance. Keenyara smirked and leaned back, letting her legs dangle over the edge of the rooftop. "Sit back, Princess, and let me tell you a story. Hopefully you'll learn something.

"Back where I come from, Erra its called, there are two kinds of people. There's people like me," she tipped her head toward Starfire, producing a gentle breeze that encircled them both, "who were born different from everyone else, and there's everyone else, who are, for lack of a better word, identical. Everyone was basically the same, same eye color, hair color, height, ideals, everything. It was monotonous as hell, in case you were wondering. And of course, the ones who were different were in short supply so we were alienated to say the least.

"So, I grew up and they taught me tricks and gave me to a princess to amuse, all of that shit. Oh and they taught me sciences and math and everything, mostly out of spite I think. I grew up with mindless assholes going 'Don't leave the princess alone with the Freak, she'll kill her. You know all of those Imperfects are the same vicious and hateful all around'. Mind you, this was all before my powers began to kick in. I was quite a pleasant child back then actually…" she trailed off thoughtfully, for a moment before snapping back to the moment.

"But anyway, so, that went on for about fifteen years. Then, I hit sixteen and my elemental side made an appearance. I pretty much stopped being human and I started being the wind and the sky. Needless to say, my kind of life clashed with that personality. The fact that everyone kept saying that I was all bitch without even knowing me started to piss me off, so I decided to show them exactly how much of a bitch I could be. It came naturally enough."

Keenyara shrugged and turned to Starfire, beginning to unbraid her hair. "So, yeah, I was mistreated and I did some shit that was pretty vile and uncalled for, you could even call it downright evil. But I'd go back to that hell-hole, and I'd do it all again."

Starfire bit her lip. "So, you are saying that I should remain on Tamaran because no matter how unpleasant it is, it made me who I am and I could learn from it?" she interrupted. Keenyara gave her a withering look.

"Well that'd be stupid seeing as you make it sound like life everywhere else _but_ Tamaran made you who you are. What I was going to say before you interrupted me is that no matter where I was my life got exponentially better the minute I decided to take control of me and be who _I_ wanted to be. Get it?"

Starfire blinked and then nodded slowly. "Yes, I do. But what if I don't know who I want to be?" she asked. Keenyara shrugged again.

"I can't tell you who to be, Princess, but I do know this. If you pick the person you _think_ you're supposed to be instead of who you truly want and need to be," she took an exaggerated look at the ground below them, so very far away. "There's only one way to right that kind of mistake."

Starfire turned her gaze upward to the moon. More and more was starting to count on this decision. After a few moments of silence, she shot Keenyara a sideways glance. "You know, you are quite helpful when you wish to be," she commented with small smirk. Keenyara humped.

"Yeah, well, if you start getting sappy I'll shove you off," she grumbled. Starfire's smile broadened and she would have laughed had her mind been a bit less burdened. With a sigh, she stood and cast a look around.

"I have more thinking to do, but… thank you," she said quietly, "For your advice and for your help during the match we were forced to fight. Maybe it will not have been in vain." Keenyara snorted and gave Starfire a hard push in the middle of the back. Starfire yelped as she dropped a few feet before catching herself.

"That was sappy."

That got Starfire to laugh.

-!-

_Kilaani winced and wiped away the sweat that had begun to bead her forehead, gazing down at her right forearm with glazed eyes. Her breathing was heavy, ragged, and her vision was clouded, as if she were gazing through a filter. _

Starfire was wandering aimlessly through the palace hallways, her hand trailing the cool, stone walls behind her. She bit her lip almost wistfully.

_Her head felt as if it were about to split in two, but she grit her teeth and continued the best she could. She knew she was liable to pass out soon if she kept this up, but she had to keep an eye on the princess until she could fully understand the prophecy. She knew she was not meant so see two realities at once, but she could see no other way, without asking for help and potentially putting someone else in danger._

_"She will be marked, though she is marked," Kilaani mumbled, ignoring the slight burning that lingered in her forearm where the scarlet marks had reappeared. That made limited sense to her. She was convinced that Princess Koriand'r was the subject of the prediction. Therefore, it must have meant that some kind of mark would be left on her before the end of the ordeal._

_She wrote these notes down on the pad of paper next to her, though her handwriting was wavering from the pain in her head. "She will feel the pain, she must feel the pain." That was the part of the prophecy that interested her the most, this great pain that "she" was supposed to feel. It seemed to be emphasized that this pain was to be emotional, mental, but not necessarily physical._

Starfire paused at the beginning of the hallway that held her friends' rooms. She touched each of the doors as she passed them. It was so late, too late for them to be awake. But she shied away from Robin's door, only gazing mournfully at it.

_'What has happened between them?' Kilaani wondered to herself, but she quickly shook this thought away, concentrating on her most prominent problem._

_"She will lose his love, for he will lose his life." She jotted this down in her notepad. "Then… someone the Princess is close to, someone she loves, will 'lose his life'," she muttered to herself, trying to keep herself alert. She pondered that phrase briefly: "lose his life". That could mean a variety of things. Most prophecies were vague and for one to mean "lose his life" as literally as to die was unlikely, but still more likely than she liked to think._

_"She will lose his love…? As if this will be a result of his loss of life." She wrote this down. "Who could this lover be, though?" she wondered and tapped her pen gently against her head in thought. She bit her lip for a second before abruptly changing her secondary vision and delving into it fully._

Robin paced his room restlessly. It was almost destroyed with most of the ornate vases laying in pieces and a few of the plush chairs and such overturned. He looked as if he had calmed himself since destroying these things, but he still looked livid.

"Why won't she just understand?" he mumbled, running his hand through his hair. It was no longer standing in all directions, making Kilaani suspect that he had been doing this throughout the night.

"Because she doesn't want to understand." Kilaani jumped and then berated herself for being so inattentive. She had not noticed that Raven was also present in the room, perched Indian style on his bed. "I don't think you fully understand her either."

Robin turned to her sharply. "Funny, that's right along the lines of what she said," he answered darkly. Raven gave him a stern look, a look that clearly said, 'Shove it, I know you.'.

"Well then you weren't listening the way you should have been. I know you think that you know how she's thinking right about now, but let me can tell you how she's feeling," she answered harshly. Her eyes began to glow softly. "She's scared. Starfire is scared. She knows who she is and she knows that Koriand'r is a part of Starfire. She feels like if she turns her back on Tamaran, she's turning her back on Koriand'r. And who will she be then, once she's turned her back on something that's a part of her? This isn't anything like what you did, Robin, when you left Gotham. If she does this, there is no going back, no making amends with Tamaran. If she picks us, that's it. We will be all she has."

Robin's gaze had softened during all of this and he dropped onto the bed next to Raven. "Why isn't that enough for her though?" he asked quietly. "This place… This place is bad for her and I know you know it. They don't care about her here. All they want is to use her and her power. If we have to leave her here, alone…?" He shook his head helplessly. "They'll destroy her." He stared levelly at Raven. "Starfire is my life, our lives. Why can't she trust us enough to make us hers?"

_Kilaani gasped as she released the vision, returning once again to the half trance she had been maintaining. She took a moment, gasping, trying to catch her breath. But she had discovered what she needed to know. "Starfire is my life," Robin had said. The prophecy was starting to reveal itself. Kilaani was confident that she knew the who, but she had yet to fully discover the what._

_"There will be… death? In his heart and in her soul…" She could make no sense of that, except that the prophecy was reiterating the fact that there would be pain for both parties. The next line supported this, "The pain of death without death's release. That is her fate." Kilaani bit her lip and rubbed her temples wearily. "So dire… even for a prophecy," she mumbled. Her glazed eyes glanced down at her arm and widened instantly._

_It suddenly felt as if someone were dragging a razor through her skin, both searing hot and icy cold. She gasped and clutched her arm, watching with wide eyes as the spidery, blood red writing that had marred her arm began to extend themselves and the prophecy along with it. She whimpered and suddenly could see nothing of her room of her reality. All there was left was her view of the princess._

_'Why does it hurt so?' she thought desperately as she broke into a cold sweat and she felt needles over her skin. She could hardly breathe through the pain._

There was a tremendous boom from some part of the castle and Starfire turned suddenly toward it. She had wandered far away from her teammates' rooms and was alone. She could hear shouting coming from a few halls away and they sounded frantic, some angry. There was another boom, this one louder.

**_'Tamaranian Seer, heed our warning.'_ **

_Kilaani's colorless eyes widened and she scrambled backward in her chair, though she could see nothing of where she was going. This was not what she knew. This was deeper, darker than what she knew. Bad things were happening._

Suddenly, the explosion was drawn closer as the wall next to her exploded outward and dozens of hazy figures stepped through the hole made in the wall. Starfire stumbled back and called her power to her hands and eyes, wary of what might be happening now. She narrowed her eyes, fully expecting to see a gang of Psions staring her down as the dust cleared away.

_**'Your side has been chosen, but hers has not.'**_

A triumphant cry went through the shadowed figures and one of them stepped forward; Starfire stepped back again. But she recognized the voice and the language was decidedly Tamaranian.

"There! There she is!" one of them exclaimed and Starfire relaxed to a limited extent. It was Lirain at the forefront of the gang and he smirked at her in a way that she could not really understand.

"What is this?" she snapped. Suddenly, there was another explosion further down the hall. Starfire watched with a suspicious gaze as Lirain exchanged a look with one of his cohorts. There was an enraged shout from the end of the hall. Starfire took a step forward curiously, annoyed at the sudden commotion, and worried by the way they were all acting.

_"X'hal save me!" Kilaani gasped. But whatever forces had taken a hold of her seemed not to want to let her go._

_**'Know what we do to those who interfere; ask your wind witch.'**_

Lirain lunged forward suddenly and grabbed her wrist, yanking her forward until she jerked her hand back from him. Her eyes were narrow and she pulled her power to the surface once more. She had yet to forget his treatment of her earlier that day.

"Stop it! What is going on?" she questioned harshly. Lirain was about to answer, but he was cut off by a cry from the end of the hall.

"There! They have the princess! Stop!"

Lirain snapped something at the rest of his gang. Three of them, all dressed in a soldier's armor, nodded curtly and turned on the spot sprinting to meet the ones at the other end, all dressed in the same soldier's garb. For a moment, she did not understand why they ran at each other so viciously, why they drew swords and staffs as they drew near.

She understood as soon as the first strike was made. Suddenly she felt sick and she started toward the mayhem almost angrily.

**_'Stay out of our way.'_**

"What is going on here?" she snapped, her nerves far past their breaking point. Lirain shot forward once more, this time his grip was iron tight.

"For once in your life, Koriand'r, listen to someone else, someone who knows better than you," he snarled at her as he pulled her along. "There has been a mutiny, the army has been divided. The Grand Ruler has already been taken by the rebels, as has Crown Princess Kormand'r. Disgraced as you are, you are next on their list."

_Kilaani felt her eyes go wide once more. 'A mutiny?' she wondered. But something was not right. Something in Lirain's voice, his demeanor was disconcerting. She could see the deception in his eyes._

Starfire's eyes went wide and she almost stopped running, but Lirain pulled her along. Soon they had left the battle between the two sides behind, far behind. He pulled her up two or three flights of stairs. Finally, she forced her hand away once more.

_**'Before the sun's rise, we will see her awakening.' **_

_"What awakening?" Kilaani called suddenly, though her throat ached and her head was sure to be cleaved in two. Suddenly her head was filled to bursting with images of a horrible battle, one last pivotal battle. She heard the echo of a voice, low, gravelly, but so intense. 'Now rages a war… heaven… hell… **three champions**…'_

_**'Before the sun's rise, we will see her destruction.'**_

"Lirain, what do you mean a mutiny?" Starfire gasped, eyes wide. "What happened? Where is Galifore? Blackfire? Have they been harmed?"

Lirain shook his head and pulled her out of the room, onto an adjacent balcony. "I do not know," he answered. He strode away from her, peering over the balcony's rail. Suddenly, he barked something into the night air in Tamaranian. "She's here, I have her."

Starfire huffed in annoyance and followed after him, grabbing his arm to turn him around. "Listen to me!" she demanded. "What did they want with me, those other soldiers back there?"

Suddenly, she felt arms encircle her waist and someone's teeth scrape roughly against her neck. Just as suddenly, she felt her rage and disgust leap in level and she jerked away in revulsion, turning with her eyes alight. But then her hands were captured, held above her head in a grip that made her wince as Lirain nibbled lightly on her ear. He chuckled darkly as she tried in vain to pull away.

"Stupid girl," he hissed. "They wanted to save you from us."

_Kilaani cried out in pain, in frustration, in anger, but the pain was the most intense. It felt as if her very bones were on fire. She could not breathe through the pain. And when whatever force that had held her captive released her, it was all she could do to collapse onto the floor weakly, breathing deeply with only her whimpers to comfort her._

_**'Stay out of our way, or you too will suffer.'**_

Forain grinned sickeningly at her as her grabbed her hips and crushed his lips against hers as his gang of rebels hooted and cheered. Starfire thrashed violently, but Lirain held her arms securely. Her anger grew exponentially and the released a sudden of star fire from her hands and eyes. To her disgust, however Forain pulled away in time to be unharmed. Jerking toward him, she gasped as she almost dislocated her own shoulders in her fury.

"You! What did you do to them? Where are they? I swear, X'hal I swear! You will pay dearly if you have hurt Galifore, I will make sure!" she snarled as she struggled.

Lirain grunted as she pulled him forward an inch or two with her struggling. With a growl he grabbed her by the roots of her hair and, before she could react, he slammed her head viciously against the balcony's cement rail. "More trouble than she's worth, that one," he muttered as Starfire collapsed to the ground. He kneeled quickly while she was still dazed and reeling from the blow and secured a pair of durable metal cuffs, in the same fashion of the ones she had first arrived on Earth in, around her arms. They did have one difference.

Starfire winced as she felt something in the cuffs pierce her wrist. She her eyes began to droop, but she fought the fatigue angrily. The band of rebels around her laughed mockingly at her sluggish jerks. Finally, one of them bent down and grabbed her by the waist, lifting her up. To her surprise, it was a woman who slung her across her shoulders. "Make it easier on yourself, Koriand'r," she laughed disdainfully.

_Kilaani swore as she sensed, rather than saw, the darkness creeping in on her vision. She had seen everything, and she knew she had to get to the Princess before the Prophecy could be carried out in the way that the darker side of things intended. But she knew she did not have a chance. She had overexerted herself and she was drained of everything she had. But she had one hope left. Her contact with such a powerful force for so long had left her with knowledge that she knew was not intended for her. With the last of her strength, Kilaani called out mentally._

To her surprise, it was not worry that Starfire felt as she yielded to the darkness. It was not the righteous fury she was so familiar with. As she closed her eyes, Starfire felt betrayed, hurt, and afraid of such an extreme unknown. It was this that sparked her feelings of rage, disgust, and an extreme thirst for revenge. Feeling these emotions so strongly, finally, Starfire closed her eyes with only her determination to count on.

Somewhere on the other side of the castle at that exact moment, Keenyara yelped suddenly and bowed forward, clapping her hands over her ears. The raw intensity of the cry deafened and pained her momentarily. Finally though, she sat up shakily and stood, looking toward her right. She had faintly heard the echoes of explosions, but she had discounted it all as none of her business. Now she knew better.

Sweeping her arms around her, Keenyara abandoned subtlety as the wind howled around her and seeped into her, converting her energy. She disappeared in a gust of wind that took shingles off of the ornately designed roof, the echoes of the anonymous cry still ringing in her ears.

_**'You, Protectress of Champions, it is time to do your duty!'**_


	16. Chapter 15 ::Race to SunrisePt1::

A/N: Arg. Writer's block has set in, along with pre-highschool jitters. I'm trying to keep up with the updates, but ya'll are gonna have to bare with me for a while.

* * *

Chapter 15 :Race to Sunrise(Pt.1):

"Hey… hey!"

Kilaani groaned and turned away, her head pounding dully. There was a sound like a growl and she felt someone prop her up, tapping her face lightly.

"Oh come on, wake upཀ" a female voice asserted, the taps to her face becoming more insistent. Kilaani felt her eyelids twitch for a moment before squinting her eyes open. At first, everything was hazy and undefined, but her room was becoming clearer by the moment. That and the girl who had come to rouse her.

"Keenyara?" Kilaani muttered thickly, squinting against the glow of Keenyara's eyes. "What are you…?"

The memory of everything, the prophecy, her visions, the mutiny, returned to her like a slap to the face. She suddenly shot to her feet, dashing to her desk and scattering the papers there in search of the notes she had taken. For a second, she forgot Keenyara was there and shoved her sleeve back, staring in disbelief at her forearm. The skin there was smooth and orange-gold as it should have been. Her notes were gone. All evidence and clues she had had were gone.

"Damn it all, where are they?" she growled to herself, hardly registering the fact that she was not one to curse. She did not know how long she had been unconscious. She did not know where Lirain and Forain had taken Princess Koriand'r or the rest of the royal family. She did not know what the rebels intended to do with them, or even if it had already been done.

All she knew was she had until sunrise to figure it out.

Suddenly, she felt Keenyara's cool touch on her arm and she turned, impatient and still on edge. She was about to snap something at her, but stopped cold as she realized and registered exactly what she was seeing.

She had never noticed that Keenyara was a tall girl, not by Tamaranian standards, but Kilaani had always been short for her age. But it was not exactly her physical height that make Keenyara seem so big, but also her posture, her attitude. She stood straight and tall, finding a way to make the mere inch she had on Kilaani seem like feet instead. Her eyes were icy and accusing, almost threatening and she was sporting a shallow, but painful-looking cut on her right cheek. She also held a small notepad in her hand, filled to bursting with Tamaranian characters.

Those were her prophecy notes.

"Those are mine!" she exclaimed and made to snatch the notes away from her, but Keenyara was faster and pulled away, taking hold of Kilaani's wrist with her other hand. She narrowed her eyes and moved closer, her blue eyes glowing brighter threateningly.

"No, until I have my curiosity satisfied, these are mine. And you can calm yourself down, too. It's not like I can read it," she snapped back. Kilaani snatched her wrist back and tried to take the notes again. This time, Keenyara shoved her back, not hard enough to make her fall, but with enough power to definitely move her. Not for the first time, Kilaani regretted the fact that she had foregone combat training as a child in order to pursue the Art. She was awkward and not very strong when she fought and she had seen Keenyara's skill as a fighter. Overpowering her was not an option.

"If you cannot read them, why do you want them?" she asked, hoping that reason would earn her the notes back. Keenyara narrowed her eyes and flipped through the pages slowly, her eyes never leaving Kilaani's. When she found the page she had been looking for she gave Kilaani a hard gaze before showing her the page.

"Where'd you get this little design idea from?" she asked softly. Kilaani's eyebrows drew together in her confusion. Keenyara was pointing to a small drawing in the lower right hand corner of the page. It looked like a bolt of lightening; one that curled in on itself twice and gradually emerged as what looked like a gust of wind. It was a simple, but elegant little design. Kilaani did not remember drawing it, but did remember seeing it in the sudden flash of information she had gotten during that captive vision. She bit her lip.

"I do not know, I just made it up," she said quickly and she knew it was hardly convincing. Keenyara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, looking skeptical.

"And I guess that this," she rolled down one side of her sweatpants, revealing her right hip and an exact replica of the drawing, "is just a spooky coincidence, huh?" Kilaani was speechless. Keenyara was not. "Cut the bullshit and be straight with me, because I don't want to have to hurt you, though just I might end up having to. You called me, didn't you? You called me, 'Protectress of Guardians', right?"

"I called _you_?" Kilaani exclaimed incredulously. When she had called out, she had called out only to a specific mental profile, almost like an address or a mental identification number. Truthfully, she had expected Raven to receive her message, to do something to help her find the princess. The idea that she was calling out to Keenyara had never crossed her mind. "You are the Servant who touches Good and Evil, the Undivine Protectress, the Murderer —"

"—of Keikan?" Keenyara finished with a snarl. "Spare me, bitch, and call me Keenyara, because you don't know what the _hell_ you're talking about," she hissed, her hand tightening perceptively around her staff. Kilaani shrunk backward, alarmed at Keenyara's sudden rage.

"I— you— I'm s-sorry," Kilaani stammered. "Those are the names I was given to indicate the Protectress…"

"Well forget them, because that is none of your damned business," she snapped, cutting Kilaani off once more. She moved closer to her, leveling her staff at her throat. "Tell me the truth. How do you know me and whose side are you on?"

Kilaani gulped audibly and wracked her mind for something, anything to prove her benevolent intentions. If she had learned, unconsciously, the mark that would indicate the Protectress, she must also have learned the way to disarm her or earn her trust, or maybe even both.

"Wait, wait! I'm on your side!" she exclaimed, holding her hands up to her. "I learned what I know from a vision, one I had earlier. I don't know how long ago. But… I just… look, the important thing here is that the princess, Starfire, she is in grave danger! She is your charge, am I wrong? If she is not saved, before sunrise of this very night, she will be destroyed, or worse, turned to the other side!" Keenyara's eyes went wide.

"She'll be _what_??" she exclaimed, her grip loosening on her weapon. Kilaani took her opportunity and pushed the staff to a less threatening position. Keenyara did not seem to notice, or she just did not care. "It'll be bad enough if she's killed, but… I didn't know they could turn her to the evil sideཀ" she exclaimed and took her staff more firmly in her hands. "You're lying," she accused viciously.

Kilaani stomped her foot in frustration. "I am _not _lying and she _is_ in such danger! Just listen to me; I have to know something that will make you trust me…" she tried to ignore Keenyara's presence, which was distracting enough when she was being passive. Now, it was almost demanding her attention. Annoyed, she pressed her hands to her eyes, and suddenly a bolt on energy shot through her palm, making her jump.

When she looked, there was the same raised, red writing, only this time it had shaped itself into a picture, a simple mark. She barely resisted the immense urge to roll her eyes and curse. She was annoyed that some higher power had acquired the sudden urge to write and draw over her very _body. _

There was a quiet, barely-there chuckle in her mind, one that did not alarm her. _'Now you are marked, and she cannot deny it,'_ the presence, almost said, though the sensation was too little to be described as true saying. With an annoyed huff, Kilaani thrust her hand out, palm presented to Keenyara resentfully.

"There, is that proof enough?" she asked stiffly, still a little upset with the nerve the universe seemed to have. Keenyara blinked, inspected the small mark briefly, and then laughed ruefully. The mark consisted of arrows, three or four of them that began as a single base. One of the arrows seemed bolder than the rest.

"Haha, well, excuse me. You're a Guide now, huh? Welcome to the world of a thousand names," she snickered as she dropped her staff. Kilaani gave her hand a confused look, as if trying to have the same understanding of it that Keenyara had.

"Guide…?" she began questioningly, before Keenyara simply waved this away, handing her back her notes.

"Forget about that for now. Basically, you're just about as involved in this fucked up plan as I am which, I might add, is not quite as fun as you might think it was. You said Starfire was in danger, that you had a vision. Tell me about it quickly," she commanded. Kilaani nodded grimly and tucked a strand of pale hair behind her ear, steeling herself to what seemed was now her destiny. She quickly outlined her vision, only the part about Starfire's abduction, and then recited what she could remember of the second prophecy of her lifetime. Once she was done, Keenyara's eyes were narrow with her anger and frustration.

"How long ago? Where did they take her?" she demanded as the room's still air began to circle with her restlessness. Kilaani too was upset that so much time had been wasted earning the suspicious girl's trust, but she knew better than to say as much. She only shot Keenyara a grim look.

"I do not know! I called out to you for help as soon as I saw them take her, but I passed out after that. And I may have sent the message to you immediately, but it can take from seconds to years for someone to realize a mental message sitting around in his or her head! We have until the sun's rise to do something!" she almost snapped, but managed to control her tone.

Keenyara scowled. "Can't you _feel _her or something? You're the witch around here!"

Kilaani narrowed her eyes and Keenyara would have been pleasantly taken aback to see such boldness from the quiet and polite young woman, but she was too frustrated to notice something like that. "I am a Seer! I tell and reveal the future! You're looking for an empath, which I may be, but quite a mediocre one. We need someone who had trained his or her empathetic powers almost solely. And everyone I know and am in touch with is a Seer."

Keenyara thumped her staff of the ground in irritation. "Well then, _see!_ Tell me the future of this palace, of Starfire at sunriseཀ" she snapped. With a growl, Kilaani took hold of Keenyara's wrist and felt her pupils flash. To her relief, the experience was familiar, this time there was no presence to write something else on her or rip a prophecy from her tired soul, or even simply to rip her soul out. It was her normal view of the future that she had trained hard and long to sustain. She saw what she needed to in moments, and when she was done she released Keenyara slowly, her mood sobered.

"What? What did you see?" Keenyara questioned impatiently. Kilaani's colorless eyes were foreboding

"The palace. The entire palace…" she looking into Keenyara's eyes sincerely. "She's going to destroy it." Keenyara frowned, debating just how much that had to do with her and her job. She could not say. But Kilaani was moving, taking her notes and shredding them carefully before throwing them into the fire.

"What are you doing?" Keenyara asked, as Kilaani thrust some of the papers to her, indicating that she should do the same. Keenyara simply threw her few into the air, manipulated the air in a few specific places to expand and channeled the remaining slices into the fire.

"The princess, she would only destroy the palace if the rebels won, right? If that is true, I do not want anyone else to know what I know," she said as she threw the last shred into the fire. When she had done this, she faced Keenyara seriously. "We need to find her. An empath is our best bet."

With her dour and serious look, the answer came clearly to Keenyara and she took hold of Kilaani's arm, shoving her out of the door.

"Come on," she grunted, peeking around the corner before turning it. "We need to find Raven."

-!-

Robin awoke with a start. For a moment he just lay in his bed, breathing and wondering what had woke him up so suddenly. His answer came quickly enough. There was someone on the other side of the door, rattling the knob impatiently and knocking insistently. It was only a few seconds before he decided that he did not care and rolled over to return to sleep. After watching someone he loved first have to fight not only for her life, but the life of everything she loved, then participate in a trial that had him fighting to keep his own temper, and now faced with a decision that could effectively tear all of them apart, he deserved some peace, quiet, and rest (if he ever got back to sleep). Whoever it was could wait until morning, he determined and pulled his pillow over his head.

'BOOM!'

'_Or apparently not,' _Robin thought grimly as his door was blown inwards with a tremendous thud. He bolted upright, snatching three bird-a-rangs from his belt on the bedside table and listened, waiting for someone to enter the room. There was a muffled comment from outside the door before someone stepped in, a girl. Luckily for Robin, her attention with still outside of the door. She never noticed when he flung the weapons at her, quickly pinning her to the opposite wall.

Robin sprang forward and yanked his bird-a-rangs from the wall, pinning the girl in place with an arm across her collarbone, the other arm putting a slight pressure on her windpipe. He narrowed his eyes, unable to recognize the young woman in the dim shadows of the room and hallway, but he assumed she was a soldier, seeing as she had all but destroyed his door.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he snarled quietly, leaning close. The girl yelped, gagging and coughing in broken Tamaranian. With a gasp, she reached up, touching both of his temples with the tips of her fingers and closed her eyes as Robin tried to pull back.

Suddenly, Robin reeled back, clutching his head as a horribly high-pitched wail filled every corner of his mind. He staggered away from the young girl he had been holding who coughed, massaging her throat, and then waved her hand, banishing the pain through that movement. Suddenly, the room was flooded in light and Robin squinted up at Kilaani, who had recovered from his attack and was stooping to help him upright.

"I sincerely apologize," she murmured to him as she helped him stand. Robin shook his head furiously and pulled away from her.

"What the hell was that?" he snapped to her. "And why's my door in pieces over there?" He pointed to the remaining scraps of wood that had formerly been his door. Kilaani bit her lower lip.

"I could not breathe to answer you! I am sorry. You surprised me," she answered hurriedly. She did not tell him that that was pretty much her only defense against the world. Robin seemed to be about to say something, but Keenyara cut him off as she poked her head in the room.

"Hey! _You're _the one who insisted we get the rest of these bitches. If we're gonna have time to get them, then you need to haul some ass!" she snapped, still a bit bitter from her fight with Raven. Kilaani nodded curtly and grabbed Robin's arm gently, but very firmly, moving him with her alien strength.

"She's right, we have to move quickly," she murmured to him as she maneuvered them both out of the room and hurried to the next door. Robin touched her shoulder, catching her before she could move away.

"Wait! What is this about?" he asked. Kilaani bit her lip again and shrugged his hand away.

"I would rather have to tell this story only once. Time is limited," she said and moved toward Beastboy's door. Keenyara snorted in frustration.

"No, I said _haul ass! _ Just— just move, all right? Just get out of the way!" she sneered as she pushed Kilaani to the side with a strong just of wind. Kilaani scowled.

"Fine, Keenyara, just don't make too much noise. It'll attract—"

Keenyara's eyes flitted to each door, quickly counting the doors she had to destroy. She inhaled slowly, before thrusting her arms out before her and then rapidly once toward each door. Each imploded noisily as she gestured toward them. Kilaani sighed in defeat.

"—the guards."

Keenyara seemed about to reply, but was interrupted by a ferocious roar and the appearance of a huge emerald tiger. The tiger bounded forward and had pinned Keenyara before any of them could move. Cyborg skidded from his room, his arm already transformed into his sonic cannon. From behind them skittered an immense shadow that swerved toward where they were all standing and came to a halt. The shadow contracted and swirled and leapt into the air, revealing Raven who glowered down at Keenyara. Keenyara lay still and gave Beastboy an icy glare.

"You people are unable to just walk calmly through the door, aren't you?"

The tiger's growling halted suddenly, and Beastboy backed off of Keenyara before transforming back into a human. He grinned sheepishly. "Heh, sorry. Instinct," he offered lamely. Keenyara only sniffed haughtily and stood up, brushing imaginary dirt from her pants.

"Gyurig! Gyurig'h ru _Teen _Titans!" The excited sounding cry came suddenly from the head of the hall way and the group turned to look, shoulders tense. Kilaani groaned and cast a frustrated glare at Keenyara. They had finally attracted the guards' attention. Unfortunately, they had no hope of identifying them as loyal or rebels, and the soldiers had the same problem, although if they were rebels they would probably assume the former.

"Uh, Kilaani, why are they looking at us that way?" Beastboy asked as a gang of Tamaranians, clad in the metal armor of the palace soldiers, strode purposefully toward them, some of them drawing weapons. Before the Titans could even think about reacting, they were standing face to face with them, fifteen Tamaranian warriors who stood in a cluster behind what looked like their leader, a black-haired woman, short even by human standards, with sharp, no-nonsense indigo eyes. She scanned the Titans swiftly before uttering a single word.

"Robin," she commanded simply, her eyes fixed upon him. It was obvious that she knew exactly who he was and fully expected him to come forward. Robin narrowed his eyes and moved forward without a word, standing directly in front of her and crossing his arms impatiently. The woman's jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed just as Robin's had. She seemed to be struggling internally with something and was silent for a few seconds that felt like an eternity.

Finally, through clenched teeth, she uttered a single unintelligible syllable. With a disciplined thud, the soldiers behind her simultaneously dropped to one knee, the ones who had drawn weapons throwing them at Robin's feet. They kept their heads bowed submissively, though some of them seemed to be muttering angrily under their breaths. A short tap of her toe silenced this grumbling instantly, however.

Taking deep breaths through flared nostrils, the woman began to speak in halting Tamaranian. Her hands twitched at her sides, as if she wanted to make a fist and thrust it somewhere. When she finished speaking, Kilaani turned slowly, cautiously to Robin, unsure of exactly what she was hearing.

"She says—" she began to translate slowly, but Robin cut her off.

"I know what she said," he said, ignoring Kilaani's taken aback look. Galifore was the only Tamaranian who knew that he understood the language. Raven frowned, not liking the look Robin and the woman had on their faces. "She wants our help," he said to his team without turning to them, "She says she formally requests our assistance in a matter of the utmost priority to the Tamaranian Empire, on Galifore's behalf. She's offering her unit to my command as a sign of loyalty or something." He turned to look at Keenyara. "What do you know about this?" he asked curtly.

Keenyara crossed her arms. "I know that Starfire is not safe, or happy at the moment, and if you people don't get the rocks out of your asses—" Robin turned to Kilaani, cutting Keenyara's angry rant short.

"How bad is it?" he demanded. Kilaani did not answer, but her eyes said it all. Pursing his lips, he addressed Kilaani again, turning back to the woman. "Ask her just what kind of matter this is," he commanded suddenly. Kilaani related this question back to the woman who turned to bark something at her group. Swiftly and stiffly, one of the soldiers straightened and came to her side, standing at attention. The woman began speaking once more, but this time, the soldier translated as she went.

"Rebel forces have taken the royal family, whether for ransoming or in order to commit three political assassinations at once, we are not sure. We do know, however, that you and your team harbor an emotional attachment to the princess. She thought that you would be grateful for the chance to come to her aid," he related. The Titans' eyes widened at the word assassination, suddenly struck by the seriousness of the situation. Only Robin did not react and instead nodded calmly.

"Tell her we accept, but she should keep her troop under her command. Our two teams will work together," he suggested as Kilaani translated quickly. The woman nodded and her eyes lost some of their hostility. She nodded her thanks and scanned the group again. Finally she pointed at Beastboy, asking something of one of the female soldiers who blushed and nodded.

"Beestbuya," the woman commanded slowly, unable apparently to pronounce the changeling's name correctly. Beastboy gulped and moved closer, apprehensive.

"That's me," he answered and forced a chuckle. Quickly, the woman asked a question that had Robin's eyes popping out of his head and sputtering. The woman paid no heed and hooked an arm around the back of Beastboy's head, yanking him close and kissing him firmly. Beastboy's eyes went wide and then drooped dazedly as the woman pulled back abruptly.

For a few moments, his mind was static with something like _'HotChickKissHotChickKiss,' _blaring repeatedly. Cyborg's jaw dropped and he grumbled something about never being used unfeelingly for linguistic purposes by kick-ass alien women. Keenyara quirked an eyebrow questioningly as Raven sighed and commented on the fact that at least she had not shoved him on his butt like Starfire had. Kilaani seemed unfazed and looked at them questioningly, wondering at their distress.

The woman ignored all of this and said something more to her troops in Tamaranian, who stood at her apparent command. When she finally turned back, she seemed unflustered by her actions and held out her hand to Robin. "I am Capitan Vel'sura, General of Tamaran's Elite Unit. This is my Second in Command, Corrai'n. We are the best of the best that Tamaran has to offer. We thank you for your help," she said with a small smile. Robin shook her hand.

"I am Robin, leader of the Teen Titans. This is my team, Raven, Cyborg, Keenyara, and I guess you know Beastboy already. I have been told that there is limited time before the royal family is killed—"

"We have roughly five hours," Kilaani interjected suddenly, suddenly feeling the urgency of time wasted. Vel'sura's eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"How do you know this?" she asked. "And who are you?" Kilaani bowed her head briefly.

"Kilaani, Child of the House of Tr'eena. I am the palace Seer. I know this because X'hal blessed me with a vision. Unless there is some intervention, the Royal Family of And'nia will be dead by sunrise, about five hours from now. In addition, some of your unit needs to evacuate the palace. It will also be destroyed by sunrise," she said, drawing herself to her full height. She wanted to look official or wise, but she had a feeling she fell a bit short. Luckily, Vel'sura only nodded and told her soldiers about the time limit.

"An evacuation is unnecessary. Anyone who would normally be in the palace is out in the nearby town, celebrating the victory of earlier," she informed them. Robin nodded and turned to his team.

"Cyborg—"

"I've been trying since you said it had something to do with Starfire. According to her Comm. Unit she's been standing here with us the entire time…" Cyborg said with some confusion showing through his human eye. Vel'sura tilted her head and reached into her pocket, pulling out Starfire's communicator.

"Is this the 'Comm. Unit' you speak of? We found this in the Princess' room. We thought it could help you find her," she said, giving it to Raven who held out her hand.

"Not if she doesn't have it with her, it won't," she said grimly. Her eyes began to glow darkly. "But I can try to contact her. It'll be hard, but I can try." Raven closed her eyes with these words, whispering her mantra. She muttered it again. Finally, she said it loudly, raising her arms and throwing her eyes open, revealing them to be crackling with black energy. She heard one of the soldiers gasp and mutter something that sounded suspiciously like 'witch', but she ignored it, looking with her mind's eye for the emerald flame she was so accustomed to sensing.

The world had gone an eerie grayscale to her and mostly shapeless, but it did not bother her. Looking around, Raven bit her lip in disappointment. Starfire, or what she had learned to associate with Starfire and her presence, was nowhere that she could see. Taking a deep breath, Raven pushed more power into the spell, extending her view to a mile and a half in each direction. What she discovered alarmed her, but it was definite. With a blink, Raven released the spell, sagging slightly, but not noticeably.

"Did you locate her?" Vel'sura demanded.

Raven nodded. "She's about a mile away from us," she said slowly. "That way," she finished.

And pointed straight down.

-!-

"I don't know who the fuck you think you are—"

There was the sharp clap of a hand striking another's face. Starfire winced unconsciously and groaned, blinking the haze away from her mind. But she was still so confused.

"Shut up! You are no longer the one in power!"

Her head ached unbearably as did her shoulders. With a quiet groan, she tried to reach up to cradle her head with her hands, but her arms were being restrained by something.

"Pathetic coward!" The voice that spat such vicious insults so vehemently grunted suddenly and there was a muted thud. She coughed violently. But her voice returned, rough from her apparent pain, but strong as ever. "Does it burn, _your highness?_" she spat. "Is that the point of this torture? Does it hurt you to know that royal blood," Starfire cracked her eyes open just in time to see Blackfire lean forward seductively toward her captor, "_superior _blood, is so close? Just think, you can draw it from me, you can touch it, bathe in it, hell, you can even _drink_ it. But it will never run through your veins, as it does mine. You will never be worth what I am."

The mutiny. Lirain's deception. Her capture. It all returned to her within an instant, but Starfire remained still, taking time to breathe deeply. Whatever they had used to drug her was strong and still in her system. Any movement she tried to make was difficult and there was a drugged haze still heavy on her mind. Starfire blinked, sternly commanding herself to pay attention to what was happening.

Lirain whipped out a small knife and pressed it against Blackfire's neck, pushing down hard enough to draw blood. Blackfire, however, instead of cringing, laughed instead.

"Taking my advice already?" she sneered. Lirain growled and leaned closer, clearly wrestling with his self-control.

"More like contemplating your death, " he snarled in reply. Blackfire leaned forward slowly, forcing the blade deeper into her own neck. Her eyes never left Lirain's.

"Do it," she dared him, her voice a malicious hiss. Lirain's eyes narrowed in hatred and his hand shook against her throat. Finally, he pulled away, throwing the knife to the side. Blackfire smirked. "That's a good little underling. I knew you were too stupid to be pulling the strings." Lirain's hands shook as he turned to the men who stood on either side of Blackfire, restraining her.

"Take her back to the holding cell," he snapped. Without a word, the men took hold of each of Blackfire's arms, steering her toward the door.

She went easily enough, and only dropped the words, "I guess the ground will have this anointment today," over her shoulder.

Starfire blinked in amazement at the pure daring her older sister was capable of showing. She wondered silently if that was the cause or the effect of being in a higher status than Starfire was. Was Blackfire so hard because she had been prepped for the life of a ruler, or had she been chosen for first-in-line because she had shown an extra toughness as a child that Starfire was simply void of?

Starfire was still contemplating this as she winced against a sharp pain in her neck. She started, realizing she had been gazing blankly into space, unaware of Lirain as he had approached her and shoved her head to the side, injecting her with some other kind of substance. Silently, she cursed the drug that had kept her so inattentive. But suddenly, the haze lifted and her limbs ceased to be weighted down with lead. Lirain chuckled as her first move was to swing her cuffed arms at him with all of her might. She had not noticed how much the drug had been suppressing her mentally, at least, not until this antidote of sorts shaken her out of her reverie, returning all of her anger.

Lirain sidestepped her wild swinging and pushed her back. "Be still" he snapped as she stumbled backward, falling into her two guards who took a firm hold on each of her arms. He turned and motioned toward a woman on the other side of the room. Starfire had not noticed her before and wondered if she had been there the entire time. "Come, Daerra, see if we will have more luck with this one."

Daerra came forward quickly, looking Starfire over. She turned to Lirain. "The same for her?" she asked, pacing in a circle around Starfire. Lirain nodded.

"Hopefully, she will have something more valuable to offer us," he answered, leaning casually against the opposite wall. Starfire watched Daerra warily, not knowing what kind of harm this woman could mean her. Dearra stared hard at her and circled a few more times before stopping in front of her suddenly.

"Unshackle her hands," she snapped at the guards. Lirain rolled his eyes from his spot.

"You know, that may be where you went wrong with Blackfire," he muttered. Daerra ignored him.

"Just do it," she said to the guards, who shrugged and unlocked the cuffs around Starfire's arms, but moved their grip to her wrists. Starfire scoffed and rolled her eyes before throwing the two larger men off of her like rag dolls. The pair collided with the opposite wall with a thump and did not get up. Starire massaged her wrists while surveying Daerra wearily.

She was a tall Tamaranian, with red hair and brown eyes. Her face, long and elegant, had been clawed with four parallel cuts that ran down the right side of her face. She smiled, noticing Starfire's eyes on the still fresh cuts.

"Your primitive of an older sister did this to me. Tell me that you will behave yourself better than she did, darling," she said sweetly. Starfire narrowed her eyes, unswayed by the older woman's sweet tone. She had encountered such tactics before.

"Who are you?" she asked briskly, still focused on her wrists and forearms. There was a small red sore on her wrist where she had been initially injected. The spot was small, but it stung like a tiny flame on her skin. There were numerous marks from the tight cuffs still visible. Daerra narrowed her eyes at the princess' tone.

"Do not be a brat," she snapped back at her, stepping closer. Starfire saw this and raised her hand sharply, summoning a starbolt.

"Donot come any closer to me," she commanded. "Tell me who you are and what you want from me," she said sternly. Daerra held her hands up, palms outward, in a sign of peace. Lirain rolled his eyes.

"Get on with it, witch!" he snapped. Daerra shot him a dirty look, but otherwise ignored him. She advanced slowly on Starfire, giving her a disapproving glare.

"I still do not approve of that tone, but I will answer your question to calm you down. I am Lady Daerra. I am advisor and care giver to the Palace Seer, Kilaani. You know her, do you not?" Starfire stilled momentarily, surprised by this information. This woman, who was clearly involved with the rebel forces, was the care giver Kilaani was constantly talking about? Daerra noticed her momentary distraction and bounded forward suddenly, catching Starfire's wrist in one hand.

Starfire growled and drew an illuminated fist back instinctively, but Daerra reached upward instantly, pressing two of her fingertips into the center of Starfire's forehead. Starfire's eyes grew large and round and she uttered a chocked gasp as she stood straight involuntarily, her hands immobile at her side. Daerra smirked and brought her other hand up to hold the back of her head, strengthening their mental connection. She looked over at Lirain.

"She has a strong front, but it is just that. A veneer. I am confident that she will yield more information than her sister," she muttered, skimming the contents of the teenage princess' mind. Lirain nodded.

"See that she does. And by all means, do not hesitate to pain her," he added. Daerra chuckled darkly.

"As you wish," she answered lightly and moved her touch from Starfire's forehead to her temples. She leaned downward staring hard into Starfire's eyes. She smiled sweetly once more. "Let us see here," she whispered, gathering her strength. "Both you and your sister have quite a phobia of losing the things you love the most." Starfire's body flinched suddenly, momentarily breaking the spell, but Daerra clamped down. She smirked. "Anger? Well, I believe you should be angry. We are going to make that fear reality."

* * *

STAY TUNED! 


	17. Chapter 16 ::Race to SunrisePt2::

Oh, my goodness! I'm so sorry about the long wait, but seriously? High School is no joke!! I've had five quizes already and I just finished the second week! Anyway, I'm getting a concrete schedule hammered out and I plan on setting aside time just to write. In the mean time, enjoy this!!

Disclaimer: I'm too busy to own the Teen Titans!!

Chapter 16 :Race to Sunrise(Pt.2):

"_Where are you now, brother?"_

Forain rolled his eyes, absentmindedly-cracking open the glass display case in front of him. Normally, he and his brother got along suitably. Since they were children, they had shared similar interests and personalities, though Forain was undoubtedly the more laid back of the two. They often were paired together in combat simulations and honestly worked best when they were working together.

All in all, Forain knew, though he would never admit it out loud, he did love his brother. His only fault would be that Lirain was annoyingly meticulous about everything he did, from training to dating to cleaning, even to treasonous coups. Since the very beginning of the rebellion, he had been tracking everyone's location and barking out orders and schedules through the tiny two way communicator the two of them shared.

"I'm in the main hall, acquiring additional funds," Forain replied and threw the jewel-encrusted decorative mask into a large box. He heard a snort come through his earpiece.

"_By that, I assume you mean that you are looting through the palace?"_ Forain smirked.

"You make it sound so cheap!" he replied, scandalized. He could practically feel Lirain's disapproving frown.

"_That, my brother, is because it **is**__cheap."_ Forain snickered and moved on to a display case that enclosed a beautiful jeweled necklace. _"Listen, finish up and return with your men to base. Believe it or not, Daerra is actually becoming useful to us."_ Forain straightened suddenly, surprised.

"You can't be telling me that _Kormand'r_ was susceptible to mental snooping," he asked skeptically. Lirain scoffed.

"_I wish. All Kormand'r did was destroy all of my future children," _Lirain grumbled back. Forain blinked in confusion for a moment before he burst into hysterical laughter, doubled over and clutching his sides.

"Ah, Kormand'r. You should have known better, Lirain," he chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye. Lirain harrumphed and Forain went back to his stealing, though not before relating his brother's misfortune to his companions. They seemed to find it just as amusing as he did.

"_Oh, go to hell,"_ he snapped back. _"Anyway, Koriand'r is proving much more lucrative. We will have what we need soon."_

"What do we need her for anyway? I say we slit all of their throats, hers, Kormand'r's and Galifore's, and just be done with it all. We are asking for trouble by drawing this out longer than necessary," Forain said seriously. His brother sighed.

"_That is not to be discussed now, not when anyone can hear us. Gather your men and return to base. You will be debriefed then." _Forain sighed and waved this command away, forgetting that his brother could not see him.

"We will be using the entrance behind the throne, am I right?"

"_Yes, that one is secure."_

"Okay. We are almost done. We will be there," he answered and cut the link between them. He glanced around him. His comrades, of whom there were about eight, had already cleared the room of anything valuable. They had enough to return with at the moment and it would be easy enough to come back out later. "Come, men!" he commanded with a smirk, slinging his bag of goods over his shoulder. "Let us return before Kormand'r makes a woman of my brother!" There was a general laugh from the group and a bit of a clatter as they too packed their things and prepared to leave. The palace was eerily silent, most of its occupants being drunk and happy in any of the nearby towns, still celebrating Tamaran's victory, blissfully ignorant of the situation their government was currently in.

He snorted, hoisting his sack over his shoulder and heading toward the exit, blissfully unaware of the narrow indigo eyes burning into his back. The band of rebels turned and headed noisily through the big doors to the throne room. It was a few minutes before they were gone and the room became silent.

Gracefully, two figures dropped from the ceiling into the shadows, surveying the room cautiously. Slowly, Keenyara stood, and then Vel'sura did. Keenyara looked up to one of the ceiling's corners.

"They're gone. I can hear them filing out of that room over there," she called. No sooner had she said this than a swirling black portal appeared and a group of silhouettes dropped from it, quickly becoming the Elite Unit, the Titans, and Kilaani. Vel'sura cursed vehemently.

"Of course! They are using the Refuge!" she exclaimed. Raven closed the portal and turned to her.

"The Refuge? Is that where Starfire is?" she asked.

Vel'sura nodded. "Most likely. The Throne Entrance is only one of many. There are three others that I know of and I sure that one of my soldiers knows three others. Of those, we are sure to find one that is not guarded," she replied, pacing. Keenyara tilted her head, shifting restlessly.

"How do we know that all of them aren't guarded?" she asked. Vel'sura waved this question away nonchalantly.

"No one person knows _all_ of the entrances. That is the point," she said matter-of-factly. Keenyara bristled at being spoken to in such a way and was surely about to say something, but Robin cut her off, sensing a potential conflict.

"Alright. Take us to one of the less well known of the entrances. Once we get there, we get in, we get Starfire, Galifore, and Blackfire, and we get back out." Vel'sura nodded her approval of this plan. "Let's go."

The group began to move, though one of them, Corrai'n hung back. Vel'sura gave him a questioning glance. "What are you waiting for, Corrai'n?" she asked. Corrai'n smiled waved them on.

"I will wait to make sure we are not followed," he answered. Vel'sura nodded with a smile and led the rest of them on, leaving Corrai'n alone in the room. Once he was sure they were gone, he pulled out a small headset, flipping a tiny switch and listening to the static before being connected.

"_Report." _

"They are coming in through one of the more secretive entrances. I will send off a trace once I know which one."

"_Good work. And do me a favor?" _

Corrai'n gave a small smirk. "That depends, does it not?" he replied.

"_Save the Princess' little concubine for me." _

Corrain'n chuckled. "Of course. Out."

-!-

_Her hands were enveloped in one of his as he used his other hand to cup her cheek, caressing her face lightly. He was grinning at her, teasing her lightly for something she had said. She pulled her hands away mockingly and pouted, turning away. This did not go on for long, however, before rolled his eyes and lunged forward, locking his arms around her shoulders and taking her down with him, both of them laughing as they collapsed. Still giggling, she rolled over him and leaned forward, locking her lips with his… _

'_**Of course, we know about the human. Show me something new…'**_

_She was flying, soaring over the ocean, laughing gleefully at what she saw below her. The sun was starting to set in the distance, enough for the sky to be streaked with red and purple, all of it reflected in the water below. Life teemed below the waves; she delighted in the pod of dolphins that had taken to following her (or was she following them?). She halted in her flight, staring around her in rapture. How long had it been since she had called any one place home…?_

'_**The planet? Earth? Well, you are a sentimental fool, after all. There is more…'**_

_She was younger, so much younger, a child with hopes and dreams bound in naiveté. The words of her superiors, the instructions and harsh training regiments, she drank them in and rose eagerly to the occasion. She stretched herself to the limit, sleeping less and fighting harder and doing everything in her power to become **worthy**. At night, when she was unable to sleep and tired of studying, she snuck out into the nearby towns, seeing what the planet was really about and learning to know the people. She knew, without a doubt, that she would do anything for her planet…_

'_**And Tamaran. That is expected. That still is not all, however. You are hiding something still, tell Lady Daerra all of it…'**_

_She zipped upward, into his enormous arms, reveling in his deep, rumbling chuckle. A few warm tears slipped past her defenses and she tried to catch them, to hide them, but he seemed to sense them. He did not, of course, mention them, it was considered a shame to cry. Instead, he held still for a moment, allowing her to gather herself before setting her back on the ground. Ruffling her hair with a grin, he winked as he suggested a raid on the dessert wing of the kitchens. Zorka berries could make anything better…_

'_**The Emperor…'**_

Starfire emerged from the guided trance shaking and sweating. She slumped, holding her stomach as she resisted the urge to be sick. She felt embarrassed and violated and naked. Daerra had known and felt everything Starfire had in those memories, had experienced them as if they had been her own. She knew of the desperate need she had once fostered, the need to be an able queen, and of the vulnerable kind of joy that came from being close and intimate with Robin. Daerra knew it all, now.

Daerra slackened her hold on her, apparently not thinking of her as a threat, though she did not remove her fingers from Starfire's temples. "You were wrong, Lirain," she said thoughtfully. Lirain looked up from his new spot. He scowled in Daerra's direction.

"In what way?" he asked cautiously. Daerra turned away from him and back toward Starfire, peering steadily into her eyes. Neither Starfire nor Lirain was completely sure what she was looking for.

"You told me that she would probably have many accessible loves that could be exploited. But you were wrong. She, like her sister, resisted the pull of loving anything. Koriand'r's heart houses but four loves: Tamaran, Earth, her leader, Robin, and the Emperor; and we cannot really take Earth or Tamaran—"

Daerra had begun to tilt her head in different ways, staring critically at her, before Starfire's bubbling fury pushed her to act. With a snarl, she broke from the spell, clamping her hands over Daerra's and securing them there.

"Maybe the secrets you seek lie in darker memories?" Starfire snarled, reaching through the mental link Daerra herself had established and using it to hold the older woman hostage.

_Her body was collapsing, slowly shutting down from exhaustion, malnutrition, and starvation. Despite this, she fought on, pushing her body to impossible limits and enduring treatment that was slowly but ever so surely killing her spirit…_

'_**Stop it! Release me!'** _

_Blood flooded her mouth and down her chin as her teeth sank deep into her lip. She refused, stubbornly to cry out as the blows to her mind rained down again and again. If she cried out, it was possible that they would stop, but then it was also possible that the sharp shooting pain would only get harsher…_

'_**You wretched wench! L-let me go!'** _

_She was screaming. Not whimpering, not groaning, but fully screaming with the pain that was literally pumping through her veins. Hotter than fire, hotter than a bolt of lightening, a star's core was running through her, taking hold of who she was and had always been, and turning her into someone (or rather, something) completely different. In the beginning, she believed that she would survive, if she were lucky. Now, as one of the doctors turned away in disgust, and another spat the word "abomination" at her writhing form, she knew that if X'hal held any favor for her at all, death would claim her, and then peace…_

"ENOUGH!"

Starfire hit the ground glaring hatefully up at Daerra, her cheek stinging from the strong slap she had just given her. Both of them were breathing heavily, though Daerra seemed badly startled while Starfire looked only furious.

"Take- take her to the holding cell!" Daerra breathed unsteadily, her eyes still wide. Immediately, the two guards that Starfire had so easily thrown away came forward and took hold of her arms once more. They looked to Lirain who nodded, his eyes stuck on Daerra curiously. Roughly, they pulled her to her feet and rushed her out of the door, hurrying back toward the room where the two sisters were being held. They were rushing, knowing that once the princess regained her strength, it would take nothing for her to overpower them. As they left the room, Starfire wanted to smirk, but kept her face blank and woozy looking. They had forgotten to replace the handcuffs.

Perhaps she could be cunning and deceiving after all.

It was easy enough to dispatch them; they continued to underestimate her strength. Once again, Starfire massaged her wrists as she surveyed the two unconscious guards. If any other rebels saw them they would know immediately that she had escaped. Casting a glace around her, she quickly spotted a door. She peeked inside it and found it to be a pantry of sorts, full of dried foods. Instantly, she knew where she was.

The Refuge. It was an underground hideout, constructed so that the Royal household would have a place to turn to should the castle become under siege. The place was stocked for hundreds of people for three months. It was a logical choice for a rebellion.

Starfire pulled the pair of guards into the stockroom and shut the door, melting the handle on both sides. She was not very worried about them. They would find a way out eventually and they had ample food and water until then. That would buy her some time, but not much. She had to find a way out, but first she had to find Galifore.

'_And perhaps Blackfire,'_ she added as an afterthought as she began walking. Suddenly, she became aware of the pair of eyes piercing her back and she whipped around, arm raised and fist alight. A dark chuckle emanated from around the corner and Blackfire herself stepped out, looking amused.

"I wondered how long it would take you to get away from those weaklings," she commented. Starfire locked eyes with her, and the rage and hurt and betrayal that had been flowing just under the surface burst upward and before she knew it, she had slammed her up against the opposite wall, her eyes alight.

"You!" she snarled. "_You_ made this happen!" Blackfire winced as her head hit the stone wall. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please. Tell me you're not still on me about your stupid little decision. If it makes you feel better, now everyone will be too distracted to remember," she drawled, slapping Starfire's hands away and crossing her arms over her chest. Starfire balled her hands into fists.

"That _'stupid little decision'_ is the reason all of this is happening! Galifore went to Rik to try to stop it! Somehow, that spiraled out of control into this," she snapped in reply. Blackfire shook her head pityingly and smacked the heel of her palm against Starfire forehead, forcing her to back up.

"Don't be so self absorbed. This little coup was well planned and efficient. The food stocks down here have probably been doubled. Those traitors were planning this for _months_, Starfire, maybe even years. They picked tonight because everyone is out of the way in the surrounding towns. There is less for them to concern themselves with now." Starfire opened her mouth to retort, but Blackfire cut her off. "Now, if you are done, we need to get out of here. In case it hasn't occurred to you, they are bound to kill us at some point." Starfire crossed her own arms, surveying Blackfire suspiciously.

"'We'? What do you need me for?" she questioned. Blackfire rolled her eyes again.

"Don't make a big case out of it, Starfire, it's not becoming. Come on. Let's go get your knorfka and get out of here. I assume you refuse to leave without him, right?" Starfire stared hard at Blackfire's back, taken aback, and then the anger bubbled up again. She stomped her foot childishly, grabbing Blackfire's attention.

"Stop!" she exclaimed. "I am _sick_ of being used and manipulated. It will not happen again, Blackfire, not by you, nor Rik, nor anyone else. You tell me where we are going, what we are going to do, and why you need my help. Then I will decide whether or not I will be a part of your plan," she asserted. Blackfire's eyes widened and then narrowed and she advanced on her sister.

"I said not to start this now, Koriand'r," Blackfire hissed. "You want out of this mess, you're going to have to trust me, alright?" Starfire held her ground.

"I am not a fool! I learn from my mistakes. I _have_ trusted you, first on Earth, then again when you were going to have me married, and once more, only hours ago, when you would have me banished! I am done trusting you, Kormand'r, because all you ever do is take advantage of me!"

Starfire suddenly found herself thrust against the opposite wall, Blackfire's hand tight around her throat. Her hand was bright and uncomfortably warm against her neck. "Wrong!" she snarled and pushed her face close. "Who was it that purposely lost fights so that you would not be punished? Who was it that made sure that you _and_ Ryand'r had enough to eat in that spacecraft born hell? Who watched her brother driven insane? Who stood by and watched her sister tossed around like some common prostitute and then taken to be _raped_? Damn it, Kori, who the hell what _that_? Because I would say that you owe her at the very least, your trust!"

Silence reigned between them and Blackfire released her roughly. She turned and began walking, sparing not a glance behind her. Starfire did not move from where Blackfire had pinned her, her hand rising shakily to her neck. She blinked back the tears that had been prickling insistently at the back of her eyes for a long time.

"You do not know how much what you did meant to me," she said finally, almost meekly. "You have no idea how much _you_ meant to me, Blackfire." Blackfire stopped walking, though she did not turn. "But what happened to you, to us, it turned us away from what we used to be. You are not the Kormand'r I once knew, and I am not the same Koriand'r. _Nothing_ is the same," she finished, almost desperately.

Blackfire sighed and ran her fingers through her hair tiredly. "No, we are not the two young Tamaranian princesses anymore. Now, we are Blackfire and Starfire…" She turned and gave Starfire an appraising look. "Starfire would be wise not to trust Blackfire on normal circumstances. But now is different. Because no matter how honed my skills are or how trained you have become, neither one of us will get out of here alive on our own. So, for now," she extended her hand. "Trust in Kormand'r." Starfire blinked for a moment and then gave a small smile, taking Blackfire's hand. Blackfire smirked back. "Galifore is being held in a room in that direction. You want him out, no?"

"That would be best," Starfire answered.

Suddenly there was a great commotion far down the end of the hall. There was shouting and great explosions and suddenly, a great wave of wind emanated throughout the Refuge, knocking the two sisters to the ground. Starfire's head snapped up.

"Keenyara?"

Blackfire scoffed and lifted from the ground, flying toward the commotion and Starfire quickly followed. "Ha, your cavalry is finally here, I guess. Too late to be terribly helpful though," she sneered as she flew. Starfire stared forward, ahead of her. There was dread building inside of her. Whatever happened next would change everything, the way everything had been changed by her mother and by Blackfire only this time… she would be the one to change things.

-!-

When looking back, none of the participants in the ensuing fight would be able to remember the exact details. The stories that remained were things of myths, images of horror, blood, and heartbreak. Loyal soldiers who had trailed the Elite Unit stealthily, unsure of their side, had pitted themselves against the rebels, soldiers meant to be their brothers and sisters. Corrai'n, the beloved Second-in-Command to the Elite Unit had revealed himself as a traitor. Vel'sura, revered commander, had flown into a rage, destroying Corrai'n and several other rebels before anyone could respond. Some said that it was the other way around and Corrai'n had killed his commanding officer instead. There were stories of the two princesses, and even the Emperor himself joining the fight, fighting off impossible numbers. The speculation went on and on.

What everyone agreed on, however, was that at some point, there was a blinding flash of light and when the glare receded, the Teen Titans of Earth, Princesses Kormand'r and Koriand'r, Emperor Galifore, a meek palace Seer, and the two leaders of the rebellion, Lirain and Forain, disappeared, and some of them were never seen on Tamaran again.

It was sometime after this was noticed that all celebration stopped in the surrounding towns. All eyes turned to watch as the Great Tamaranian Palace crumbled slowly to the ground.

-!-

His eyes were not the blank scarlet orbs they normally were. His skin, normally pale and unhealthy looking, had acquired a nice color. He was not as thin, not as meek. He stood straight. He was not the minor, rambling lackey of Luand'r. Those power-hungry fools hardly recognized him.

It was they who had come to him, asking for his help and offering him a place in the new Tamaran. Of course, he had no interest in a place of power in their insignificant little planet. Did they not realize that their planet meant nothing to him, regardless of what Luand'r wanted? Did they not know that the only thing that gave their irrelevant cluster of rock a speck of worth was _she, _the Second Champion, the only one who had a chance of thwarting their side? He cared nothing for their stupid little revolution. All he wanted was the opportunity they presented.

They said they had information on her, that she held unimaginable power that could be harnessed if only they could break her in the right way. They were smart enough to know that trying to steal this power from her would be idiotic at best. It was too raw and untamable for that. But they thought that they could break her spirit, take everything from her and leave her with the option of slave. She would become nothing. Just a pretty gun.

And they could not do it without his help. Xuun smirked privately, watching the battle grow in size and brutality ever so quickly. This was what The Other had really had in mind for him. His attempts to remove the Protectress had been miscalculated. He should have known that if she was not angel, nor any other heavenly being, and neither was she a mortal, that her spirit would behave differently. Her wind manipulation powers stemmed from the fact that her spirit _was_ the wind and sky, and was therefore pure force. If she did not want to be removed, she would not be removed, and nothing as petty as pain would persuade her otherwise.

No, he should have been more direct, going straight for her when he had the chance. It would have been more complicated, true, but, especially at this point, her soul was weak. The betrayal of her mother, her sister, her leaders, and her very planet had led her into a deadly ring of questions about her worth. She was tearing herself down from the inside out and all she needed was a push in the right place for the walls of her sanity to deteriorate.

Lirain, the mastermind of the operation looked up at him, giving him the signal. Without a thought, Xuun raised his arms, directing a transit spell to a few specific individuals to a special closed off room. _'It won't be long now,' _he thought grimly. The twins' plan was lusciously wicked and he hoped that they would do his work for him, but just in case, he would be waiting in the shadows, watching them. He would be there if they screwed it up. Suddenly angry, he narrowed his eyes, shooting a fierce mental message to the Tamaranian twins, Lirain and Forain.

'_Do not leave her unbroken! By sun's rise, we MUST see her destruction!'_

_---------------------------------------------_

_Review, and if you have time, check out my very first Inuyasha fic, Voiceless Ballet!! If you like Emeralds then... well I guess you would like Voiceless Ballet... it's by the same person... Anyway, just check it out! It's Inu/Kag goodness!!_


	18. Chapter 17 ::Self Loathing::

**A/N: **Sorry about the long delay... I've been getting home at eight-thirty at night and then having to do my homework so... yeah. I've got the chapter though!

Chapter 17 :Self-Loathing:

When Starfire awoke, she was calm, calmer than she had been in a long time. For the first time in what felt like her entire life, she awoke without a feeling of dread and without a sense that something was wrong. She was not Koriand'r teetering on the brink of a total meltdown. She was not K'trina, desperately clinging to life. She was just Starfire, waking up from a particularly restful nap.

And then she felt the tip of the sword, so close to piercing the back of her neck.

Suddenly, she was Starfire who was just one wrong step from loosing everything she had ever worked for, so much more than her freedom. And she was Koriand'r, about to be stripped of something that was _born_ for. And she was K'trina, scrambling shamefully away from a past she could not face. She had no more personas to turn to. There was no way she could come from this battle without loosing something.

That thought, that terrifying thought, was what numbed her, opening her eyes and regarding the blank stone wall coldly. Her insides were ice. There was nothing and no one left to hide behind. She was her only hope.

"Awake at last, eh Koriand'r?"

Starfire tilted her head, though was careful of the sword she could not see. "I see that you are finally willing to settle this fight just between us. Or will you hide behind someone else?" she asked quietly. There was a sharp breath from somewhere behind her and the tip of the blade pressed down on her.

"Aren't you _clever_," Lirain replied through gritted teeth. "Stand up," he commanded. Starfire pursed her lips and rose, resisting the urge to cringe away from the biting cold of the metal blade. "Take a good look around."

She did. She did not recognize the room she was in, but then, she had never claimed to know every room in the Refuge. But strangely enough, the room had no visible entrance or exit. She wondered how they had been transported there. But for the moment it was irrelevant.

"Where are they?" The simple question had multiple meanings and she did not care which one Lirain took. But she had to know that _someone_ was safe. Everything could not have gone wrong.

"They are elsewhere. Do not fret over them, Koriand'r. They are safe for the moment and will remain so as long as you continue to cooperate with us. That is a fair trade, is it not?" An involuntary shudder passed through Starfire, and she bit the inside of her lip, knowing Lirain had seen her.

"What do you want with me?" she asked, and hated the way the question had come out. She sounded uncertain. She sounded afraid. She sounded like a sixteen-year-old girl with the tip of a sword angled at the back of her neck.

Suddenly, Starfire's eyes burned her signature emerald and she whipped around, pushing away Lirain's blow with her metal armbands. She darted backward, never taking her eyes from his and came to rest once she felt there was enough distance between them. She felt sick, disgusted with herself. She was more than just a teenage girl. She was a warrior princess, one whose people depended on her to be there for them (_Or did they? She had seen their response at the Peace Talks. Did they even want her anymore?)_. She was a hero who had braved battles against monsters, both the kind that lumbered and roared and the kind that manipulated and assassinated _(But had she really been important in those fights? How much better could the Titans have done without her around to get in the way?)_. She would not make anyone ashamed of her. Not anyone. Not even herself.

"What do you want with me?" she asked again, her voice stronger this time. Lirain smirked at her and made no attempt to get any closer. He paced the floor, keeping their distance constant. He did not answer for a moment.

"Why do you live?" he asked suddenly. Starfire blinked, startled and stunned by the question. She tilted her head slightly.

"I live because I have a right to," she answered, surprising herself with the answer that almost jumped out of her. Lirain too seemed surprised, but he recovered. He sneered.

"How poetic."

"What do you want from me?" Starfire asked firmly. "I am through with your games. Do you want me dead?"

Lirain stopped moving and looked up at her slowly. For an instant, their eyes connected and Starfire felt something in her chest constrict. She blinked rapidly resisting the urge to yelp.

"No, we have no use for you dead. But get used to the idea, Koriand'r. You may prefer it once we are done."

Despite the firm instructions she had given herself, steeling herself against any kind of weakness, Starfire found herself stumbling backward, her back pressed against the opposite wall. Her stomach knotted and she felt sick with dread.

Because she swore that it was Xuun who stared through Lirain's eyes.

-!-

The Titans, Keenyara, Galifore, and Kilaani all appeared instantly in another chamber, some of them in the midst of attacking an opponent who was not there anymore. Beastboy scrabbled to a stop as a snarling raptor as Robin came down hard on thin air. The rest of the group stilled quickly, looking around in confusion. Keenyara cursed and flopped onto the floor with a groan.

"Fight was _just _getting good," she grumbled and began to lounge. For a moment, the Titans gaped at her ability to transition from vicious warrior to lazy teen, but she snapped at them to mind their own business and they did so.

"Where's Starfire?"

Robin was the first to voice the question as Raven and Kilaani made their way quickly toward Galifore. He had a few deep cuts on his forearms, but otherwise seemed unharmed. "Whoever brought us here must have sent her somewhere different. It seems that the twins are intent on separating us," the Tamaranian rumbled.

"So it is them, those two little assholes, who are doing this?" Cyborg growled. Galifore pursed his lips.

"They are certainly at the forefront, but it does not end with them. The entire military is divided evenly. For that kind of power the rebellion would have to have many more leaders, all of them with more power than Lirain and Forain. Their father, General Ryer'n, General Thr'om, a majority of Rik is on the other side." Kilaani bit the inside of her lip. The idea of most of Rik going _against_ the Emperor was unheard of and terrifying to her.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Beastboy asked. He had been sniffing around the perimeter of the enclosure and had found nothing interesting. Keenyara snorted.

"Um, we don't," she answered and punctuated it with a 'duh'. The Titans looked at each other and then at Keenyara. Annoying as she was, Keenyara usually had answers that none of them would have ever come up with. She peeked at them from the corner of her eye and sat up with a sigh at the sight of their confused looks. "Think, children," she supplied with mock patience. "They obviously plan on using us as leverage on Starfire to get her to do whatever. Which means that at some point they'll bring her here or take us to her. All we have to do is wait and maybe pretend that we're unconscious if they come physically to get us. It's not that complicated of a concept." She went back to lounging on the floor once this was said. Raven blinked incredulously.

"That is actually pretty astute, Keenyara. I guess we do keep you for more than your ability to take up floor space." Keenyara flicked her off.

"Like your mother," she snapped.

"Please," Galifore began forcefully, halting the budding quarrel immediately, "we must not fight at a time like this. We must be unified if we plan on recovering the princess and escaping this revolution unscathed." Raven pursed her lips and pressed her hand, glowing blue, to one of Galifore's deeper cuts. The Tamaranian winced slightly, but before he could say anything, the pain was gone, along with the cut. She continued along both of his arms and then did one on his shoulder.

Though she lounged languidly on the floor, Keenyara's mind was racing frantically. She had little to no time to get to Starfire, to do her part as Starfire transformed. Things were not going the way she had planned it. As much as she hated it, she needed help.

"Kilaani, come here," she said lazily. She peeked through her lashes at the timid Seer, who gave her a puzzled look. Keenyara sighed. "It's fucking important!" she snapped and Kilaani shrugged and sat down near Keenyara, tucking her legs up under herself. Keenyara rolled her eyes and steeled her nerves. She was definitely not one for communal touch, and yet, she flopped upward and began to comb through Kilaani's hair with her fingers. Kilaani stiffened immediately and the Titans all gave her alarmed looks, but she ignored them. "Yeah, your hair kind of looks like shit," she added, trying to diffuse their suspicion. Kilaani huffed and moved as if to get up, but Keenyara gripped her arm tightly.

"Play along, stupid! We need to talk," she hissed. Kilaani suddenly felt the barest brush of the wind against her knee and Keenyara exhaled slowly behind her, continuing to play with her hair. "Try not to move your lips too much. They can't hear what we're saying." Kilaani blinked.

"You can control what people do and do not hear?" she questioned skeptically. Keenyara did not seem to notice her tone.

"Yeah. Hearing is just your ear interpreting the vibrations through the air. If you freeze the air particles in a few specific places, you can amplify or mute sounds," she explained. Normally, she would not have been patient enough to explain any of this, but she really did not need for Kilaani to be so afraid of being overheard that Keenyara could not hear her. Kilaani hummed her acknowledgement of this and so Keenyara forged onward. "I don't have to tell you that we have a bit of a problem here, do I?"

Kilaani tilted her head slightly, watching the Titans and the Emperor carefully for any signs that they secretly heard them. "No, you do not. Sunrise is not far off at all."

"Do you know how we can get out of here? We have to find her!"

Kilaani bit her lip as Keenyara pulled her hair into a ponytail and then pulled it back out, trying to buy them time. "As much as I hate to admit it, we may have to do exactly what you suggested. We must wait until someone comes for us." Keenyara pursed her lips.

"Kilaani, I've been where she's going, I've gone through this transformation once before. It isn't something you want to go through alone. This kind of change can destroy you if it goes wrong, and we know for a fact that someone is counting on it going wrong," she countered.

"Destroy?" Kilaani questioned uncertainly. "What makes you think that this is such a transformation?" Keenyara rolled her eyes and thumped the back of Kilaani's head.

"Pay attention, witchy one," she scolded mockingly. "Your prophecy said that you had chosen your side, but she had not and that she would be awakened by sun's rise, disregarding the part about her destruction and all of that negativity…"

"Awakened… this implies that she will be realizing a certain power she had not known of before. She will discover a great power… and then be forced to choose a side to contribute that power, yes?"

"Eh, in so many words."

There was a silence between them for a few moments. Suddenly, Kilaani bit her lip. "Which side did you choose?"

Keenyara froze momentarily in her actions and then started up again, resolutely. "What?" she asked briskly. Kilaani glanced at her over her shoulder.

"You said that you too had experienced this transfo—"

"Did I?"

Keenyara's harsh tone was enough to silence Kilaani again. Keenyara rolled her eyes, annoyed at herself for letting something like that just slip out in a conversation. She kept forgetting that these people did not know her and did not have the sense to know that her past was hers alone. This dimension was, after all, a particularly nosy one. Kilaani twiddled her fingers nervously. Keenyara suddenly became annoyed at this and decided to open up if only to get that wounded look off of her face.

"I didn't," she muttered lowly. Kilaani glanced back at her questioningly. "Choose a side. I will not, was not, and will never be tied to any ally. The transformation tore my soul apart and put the pieces back into my body. It was years before I was healed into what I am now. That is an instance of a transformation going wrong."

Kilaani tilted her head, imagining what it must feel like to have one's soul ripped into pieces. What she came up with was not pleasant. "But, why did you not just choose a side, choose good?" she whispered. Keenyara narrowed her eyes and released Kilaani's hair finally.

"Because choosing is just another kind of trust. In general, I don't do trust. Now shut up and act natural!" she snapped. The soft 'whoosh' that had encircled them disappeared suddenly and they were thrust back into the general discussion.

"—was crazy," Beastboy concluded grimly. "It was impossible for us to tell who was on our side and who was the enemy! And then when Corrai'n turned on us—"

"_Corrai'n_?" Galifore exclaimed incredulously. "Corrai'n, second-in-command of the Elite Unit? Surely you are mistaken." Beastboy shook his head and was about to respond, before Raven cut him off.

"No, he's right. Corrai'n and two or three other members of the Unit betrayed us, led us into a trap. Judging from the look on Vel'sura's face, she had no idea. She was enraged," she told him. Galifore frowned deeply, looking deeply disturbed and for good reason. The most trusted and influential group on the entire planet had been infiltrated by the rebels. How long had Corrai'n and his fellows been traitors? How many times had be been in the perfect position to assassinate him, or Starfire, or Blackfire? And not even his superior officer had known.

"Vel'sura is a good woman and an excellent warrior. She has a lot of pride in the Empire and especially in her unit. However, she has a history of allowing her rage to get the best of her. She will have killed them by now." All eyes snapped upward, incredulously.

"_Kill?"_ Cyborg questioned, shocked. "Not captured or maimed or something? She would kill them? Isn't that going to the extreme?" Galifore sighed and rubbed his shaggy beard.

"I did not say that it was something I condone, but it is not uncommon or taboo here. Traitors are not tolerated in the Tamaranian Empire," he answered gravely.

Suddenly, there was a deep rumbling off to the side and the Titans sprang to attention, Keenyara and Kilaani jumping to their feet. The rumbling scaled upward and downward rapidly. The room began to shake viciously…

And Starfire appeared.

She appeared directly in the center of the room, clutching her left arm. Her hair was disheveled and singed in places and her skin was splotched with dark bruises. Her right temple had been scraped bloody and her left shoulder was held up at a strange and awkward angle. For a few moments, no one moved as Starfire inhaled and exhaled shakily. Her head was bowed, her hair falling forward to shield her eyes.

"_You have ten minutes to heal her. We want an interesting fight."_

Suddenly, she fell forward onto her knees, yelping horribly when the fall jostled her shoulder. The motion was enough to jolt the Titans out of their shocked reverie. They sprang forward, Raven and Robin helping her into a sitting position, careful of her shoulder, which seemed to be dislocated. The fall seemed to have snapped her out of whatever trance she had been in. She shoved some hair out of her face, taking them all in. Her face crumbled.

"What are you _doing_ here?" she whispered hoarsely. She coughed, shying away when they tried to help, holding back her shoulder. "Leave! Now! Leave me here if you must, just go!" Raven kneeled next to her wordlessly and began to heal the abundant bruises. Starfire jerked backward, wincing when she aggravated her shoulder again. "I said to leave!" she snapped viciously.

"Hush, Koriand'r!" Galifore scolded, grabbing her uninjured shoulder firmly. His eyes were stern as he peered down at her. "Lives have been risked and undoubtedly lost trying to find you and bring you to safety. Have you not been taught better than to turn up your nose in the face of such sacrifice?" Starfire's face flushed and she bit her tongue hastily. She pulled away and stood, the sudden movement making her waver on her feet. His words had hurt her.

"I did not ask for this, Galifore!" she retorted. "Can you not see that they are praying on the fact that I would never let someone suffer for me in vain? They are using you, Robin, everything; they are using _everything I love_ against me and if you do not leave now… I cannot… they said… I—" Tears were welling in her eyes as anger and indignation was replaced by panic and fear. The words of Lirain and of Forain rang incessantly in her ears, threats that had nothing to do with her personal safety. _'I cannot lose you, I cannot lose you, I cannot lose you,' _she chanted mentally, though she could not force the words past her lips.

Robin stood wordlessly and gripped her around the waist, pulling her close. She tried pulling away, but Robin held tighter and pressed his lips to her unscathed temple. "Shh," he urged soothingly. He grabbed her hand, pressing it to his chest. "We're right here. We're fine, Star. It's you we're worried about right now. You've got to calm down and let us help you." He smiled slightly, rubbing his thumb over her wrist. "Do you really think that we would leave you here alone? We're still the Titans." Starfire began to tremble, burying her face in his shoulder. The front of Robin's shirt was quickly bunched tightly in her grip.

"_Xuun is with them, helping them,"_ she whispered in shaky Tamaranian. _"I can still hear him, and Lirain, and Forain, inside of my head. They know things that I have never told anyone… no one could ever know what they know, and yet they do." _She paused and her grip got tighter._ "They said they would kill you." _

Robin narrowed his eyes, not liking the idea of people like Xuun inside of her head. He kissed her temple again and then her ear. "I'm not going anywhere," he whispered back fiercely. "I promise." When she continued to shake he sighed and pressed his forehead against hers. "Trust me. Not them," he murmured. Starfire blinked and slowly steadied herself. Robin pulled away and looked back at Raven. He nodded at her and she stood, healing the scrape on the other side of Starfire's head. "Can you tell us what's been going on? What do they want from you and Blackfire?" he questioned as Starfire sank down to the floor again. Starfire nodded.

"I woke up in a room like this one. Lirain was the only one there. He… said he had an offer for me, but he did not want to tell me what it was until he had… persuaded me. He and Forain kept switching between Blackfire and I, if they can be believed. They told me that Blackfire had already given up, but they were—" She yelped and swooned a little as Raven suddenly shoved her shoulder back into place. She patted her cheek a little to rouse her. "—lying," she finished through gritted teeth.

"How do you know that?" Cyborg asked, sitting to join them. Starfire gave a tiny smile, absently rotating her shoulder.

"Not only did they continue to exchange posts, but they came back with more wounds than when they left. I do not know why they did not think that I would notice," she answered. She turned to Raven. "Thank you," she said with a nod toward her shoulder. Raven waved this apology away. It would be easier just to let Starfire's body deal with the rest of the injuries. She could handle a few bruises and cuts easily enough.

"What do they want from you?" she asked, sitting back to see Starfire's face more clearly. While the world knew Starfire as a bubbly alien girl who wore her emotions on her sleeve, Raven knew that Starfire had, at the very least, the capacity to hide her emotions. Raven knew her to be downright deceiving in her portrayal of her feelings.

Surprisingly enough, it was Galifore's eyes that darkened and Galifore who answered. "I am sure that it does not matter what they want of her. They will not get it," he growled. Starfire looked up at him sharply.

"You seem vehement about this, my knorfka," she murmured. Quickly, Galifore flashed Starfire a warm grin.

"Since when am I anything less than vehement when it comes to my bungorf's safety?" he answered. Starfire surveyed him tiredly. Instantly, she felt sick with herself for looking at someone whom she loved with all of her soul with such suspicion. Groaning, she scrubbed at her eyes.

"I think I am losing my mind," she whispered, mostly to herself. Working her shoulder some more, she stood, shakily at first, but then steady on her feet. She glanced toward the ceiling. "I wish it were sunrise," she muttered.

"No you don't," Keenyara answered briskly and snatched up her staff. Starfire blinked, surprised and then shook her head. She really did not feel like dealing with the riddles Keenyara spun and instead turned to glare at the wall she had come through.

"They are ready to return, I think. It cannot be long, certainly less than their designated ten minutes. That would be too generous of them…." She trailed off, looking off distantly. Suddenly, she cried out, her face pale and shocked. She crouched swiftly, clamping her hands over her ears, trembling. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes were narrow, apparently keeping herself tightly controlled.

"No, no, no, no, _no_!" she growled through clenched teeth. "_Imerg nuw bwog!_ Get the hell out of my head," she snarled, starbolts flickering to life in her hands. For a split second, Kilaani thought that she could see a strange, thin pattern twisting around her wrist, faded by the light of the starbolts, but it was gone as soon as she noticed it. For some reason, her mind seemed eager to forget it.

This time, Raven was the first to her side, crouching in front of her with knowing eyes. Gently, though her eyes were hard, she pried one of Starfire's hands away and replaced it with her own. Her own eyes widened and then narrowed. She shuddered and jerked away, her face drawn in disgust. Starfire jerked backward at the same moment, cursing and still pale.

There was a dark chuckle from the other side of the room and seven pairs of eyes focused hatefully upon Lirain's relaxed form lounging lazily against the wall. Starfire had screwed her eyes shut again and was shaking badly, her hands gouging into the ground around her. Instinctively, the Titans positioned themselves around her, protecting her. Lirain laughed again.

"What _is_ the matter, Koriand'r? Are you so tired of the company already?" Beastboy growled, his emerald wolf's body tensing. Lirain spared him an amused glance before focusing back on Starfire, somehow able to see her through her protectors. "But we have not even begun to broach the stickier subjects of your past, have we? Forain is curious to know exactly how far—"

Several things happened in the next moments, lightening fast; several things that changed…

Everything.

Starfire burst forward, snarling hideous curses in several languages, ignoring the Titans who reached for her, urging her to come back, not to be so hot-headed. It was too late, anyway. She was already to the center of the room, hurtling at speeds unknown even to Tamaranians. And then, abruptly, she halted, her hands to her temples once more. She gasped for breath, fingers digging into her scalp. Suddenly, the Titans understood the bloody scrape she had arrived with. It was self-inflicted.

At the same time, there was a gasp as Raven hurtled into the air, Forain at her throat. With narrowed eyes, she chocked out her mantra, just in time for Forain to dodge and take hold of the back of her cloak. "Sorry, witch, but you have a nasty habit of undoing our damage." Without batting an eye, he slammed the wide-eyed demoness into the ceiling and watched her fall back to the ground with a smirk. She was out before she ever landed in Keenyara's arms.

An unnaturally high-pitched keen assaulted them, one that momentarily disoriented them. Keenyara and Beastboy especially seemed pained by the sound and clamped hands down over their ears. Suddenly, with an ear-shattering crash, four walls of glass erupted from the ground, closing at a point over their heads. The crystal clear glass suddenly went opaque, obscuring Cyborg's, Beastboy's, Keenyara's, and Kilaani's faces. When it cleared a moment later, all of them had fallen unconscious. Galifore, Starfire, and Robin were alone.

For a long moment, Robin did not notice the absence of his friends. He was only aware of Starfire, of her ragged breathing as he tried to help her and how weak her arms were when she tried to push him away. When he did look around for them, disturbed by their lack of protest, his eyes darkened and he turned away silently. Forain had come to stand next to his brother, who was suddenly brandishing a long, thick sword. Things were stacking up against them.

The game was set.

"Three against two? You have been taught better than that," Galifore chided suddenly. His large, green eyes were indifferent, unthreatened. He exuded control of the situation. Starfire stood, silently summoning power to the tips of her fingers. She, in contrast, looked furious and apprehensive. "Where are your ridiculous numbers of backup?" he sniffed regally. Robin marveled at his ability to transition so flawlessly into a monarch. It was something he had seen Starfire do a handful of times, something that always caught him off guard. He was never truly prepared for such a transition.

Lirain tilted his head, throwing both Galifore and Robin knowing smirks. "It will be two against two if a few moments," he answered lightly. His dark green eyes lingered maliciously on Robin. Starfire's power blazed brighter, the heat beginning to stir the air and sway her hair. Suddenly, Lirain winked and disappeared. Starfire's eyes narrowed a fraction of an inch before she disappeared too, a swear in her wake. A slight wind ruffled Robin's hair.

_Crack!_

Starfire reappeared, crouching protectively in front of Robin while Lirain skidded to a halt a few feet away. "Leave him out of this!" she hissed. Lirain straightened and disappeared again. Starfire followed with a growl.

_Crack, crack!_

"No," Lirain laughed. Starfire's lip was bleeding suddenly. She scowled. Watching as Forain laughed and joined the battle. But something was wrong… different about the way he moved. He was moving quickly, but not as quickly as she, not as quickly as Lirain. She had been attributing her supernatural speed and Lirain's to the contact with Xuun. But Forain was not experiencing it. He was slow. What made she and Lirain quick?

But no, there was not time to think of things like that. There was time to react, to throw a punch and always to block, but there was not time to think of the reason for her advantages. There was no time to thank X'hal for this "blessing". But there was time to curse under her breath and to flinch away from the pain. There was time to kill herself a little more inside.

'_Just fight, Starfire. Just keep going, Koriand'r. Do not stop, do not rest, K'trina. Do not care. Do not think. Do not notice. Do not feel. Do not love. Just don't just don't just don't. You are a princess, a figure-head, a weapon, a distraction, a misfit, but never, never a person. _

_Just fight.' _

Suddenly, one coherent thought burst through this despairing haze.

'_Where is Lirain? Where is the sword?' _she cried mentally. With a cry, she rotated, starbolts radiating from her, throwing Forain to the ground.

Her eyes searched the room, but she could only see the glass tent, Forian's sluggish body—

And then Lirain was there, behind her, his hand entwined in her hair, the sword at her throat. He whispered teasingly in her ear, not hesitating to yank her head back. "Your hopes are a fool's," he began slowly, "We were serious when we said we would kill." He maintained a firm grip on her hair and she had no choice but to disappear with him.

The sword flashed.

Metal bit flesh.

"Robin, no! No!" she screamed, but the wide eyes that pleaded with her for forgiveness and for understanding were not blue.

They were green.

Galifore's body hit the floor with a resounding and final thud.

-------------------------


	19. Chapter 18 ::CheckMate::

A/N:: Hi everyone!! I want to give out a BIG thanks to my new betas, Animalgurl55, 16forever, and tennisgal456!! You guys are lifesavers and you made this chapter possible!!

**Last time::  
**

_Suddenly, one coherent thought burst through this despairing haze.__'Where is Lirain? Where is the sword?' she cried mentally. She rotated, starbolts radiating from her, throwing Forain to the ground. __Her eyes searched the room, but she could only see the glass tent, Forian's sluggish body—_

_And then Lirain was there, behind her, his hand entwined in her hair, the sword at her throat. He whispered teasingly in her ear, not hesitating to yank her head back. "Your hopes are a fool's," he began slowly, "We were serious when we said we would kill." He maintained a firm grip on her hair and she had no choice but to disappear with him._

_The sword flashed._

_Metal bit flesh._

_"Robin, no! No!" she screamed, but the wide eyes that pleaded with her for forgiveness and for understanding were not blue._

_They were green._

_Galifore's body hit the floor with a resounding and final thud._

* * *

Chapter 18 :CheckMate: 

'_Take me now, Oh Powerful X'hal. May I be struck down where I stand. Have no mercy on me and damn me to my hell, or rather, deliver me from this particular version. Please, just take me now.'_

Starfire was silent as this prayer pounded through her entire being, desperate and agonizing as it was. Hatred twisted a hard knot in her stomach, threatening to make her sick. Frantically, she tried to redirect it. She asserted feebly that it was Lirain, Forain, or Xuun that she hated. It was the sword that protruded so absolutely from Galifore's chest. But none of their names made it into her silent prayer.

Hers did. Because even as Galifore collapsed at her feet, coughing and choking on his own blood, a miniscule part of her breathed a sigh of relief. The sense of self-loathing intensified as she shoved this thought to the back of her mind, were it continued darkly. It wasn't Robin who was dying. It was Galifore. _'Such a trade,'_ she remarked bitterly.

'_The daughter of Luand'r indeed,'_ something else whispered in her ear, and she ignored it, dropping weakly to Galifore's side. After all, she had been hearing Xuun's voice in her head, taunting her with memories he should have had no way of knowing, for hours now. But this was a new voice, a female voice. It was light, and yet rough and dark. It reminded her of Luand'r and Blackfire. It reminded her of strength. It reminded her of the weakness her own voice held in comparison.

"Kor… Kor- an- er," Galifore choked out and began a fit of coughing. Blood dribbled from the corners of his mouth and her fingers, suddenly pale, wiped shakily at the tiny rivulets. A broken whimper slipped away from her as thin, trembling hands flitted uselessly over his body. There was nothing for her to do, she realized despairingly. The sword was still in his chest, burning her eyes with every glance. How could she possibly bear to touch it, to pull it out? Somehow, Lirain had managed to pierce two of his hearts in one stroke.

He was dying.

'_I will die with him,'_ she vowed solemnly.

Everything other than the two of them had disappeared in her eyes. She was aware of nothing but the bubbling rasp of his breath and the puttering of his hearts and the steady pounding of her own perfectly in-tact heart. Bitterness rose up in her like a tidal wave, pounding against her sanity.

"Kori… ander!" Galifore rasped again, stronger this time, and his large hand rose to grip her forearm. Her eyes widened and moistened, and she cupped his face gently in her own hand.

"Hush now, Galifore," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I am here, right beside you. There is no need for distress." His grip on her forearm relaxed slightly, whether from his calm or the ebbing of his strength, there was no way to know.

"Lo… ve… me… yes?" Her heart broke at his words and she sobbed aloud. It was all she could do to nod furiously, leaning over him. Galifore reached up and cupped her face in his hand. "Shh," he murmured gently. "Promise," he breathed and was once again consumed by a coughing fit.

"Galifore, Galifore!" she moaned against his hand, her heart wrenching with each and every cough and wheeze. "Please, I love you so! Please, this cannot how it is supposed to end!" she was pleading, making deals, hysteria threatening to overtake her. His hand found hers and he gazed up at her with wide eyes. He was afraid.

"Hush," he said gently, but firmly enough to stifle Starfire's sobs. He pulled her closer and she obeyed mindlessly, anything for a last chance to be close to him. _'Last chance…' _the thought almost began her weeping again. "Promise— me… leave… Tam— ran. Leave Tamaran!" he choked. Starfire's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to question him, but he placed his hand clumsily over it. "Leave Tamaran… never return. Dy… ing… wish, Kori. Never come back," he sighed, his eyes were urgent.

"I…" Shock, confusion, and hurt swirled in Starfire's mind, making her slow to answer, but Galifore's strength surged and he gripped her upper arm tightly, his eyes frantic and wide.

"Promise me, if you love me; if you wish me to go in peace! I beg you!" he demanded. Starfire's tears had blurred her vision by then and she cursed herself once more. Her last chance, her last memory of the man who had loved her through Koriand'r, K'trina, and Starfire without fail, would be blurry beyond recognition. Maybe it was for the best, though. Did she really want to remember him like that?

"I promise."

Starfire bit her lip after saying this, the oath seeming to reverberate back and forth. She swallowed. "I love you. More than anything, I love you. You are sure of that, are you not?" Her voice broke tenderly as she stroked his hair. Galifore sighed and wheezed and gazed almost obsessively at her face, even as his breathing became shallower and shallower and his eyes began to glaze over. He was still struggling to keep his eyes open as his hand fell weakly away from her. Starfire's lips trembled as she leaned forward to brush a kiss across his forehead. "Sleep," she murmured and brushed her fingers over his eyes. They closed. He was silent.

No.

Not silent.

Galifore was dead.

"You killed him."

This time the voice that accused her was real, tangible. It was Lirain, kneeling behind her, gazing with a morbid fascination at Galifore's still face. Starfire's mind froze, numb with her grief. Her breathing caught in her throat. "W-what?" she breathed absently. She was reeling, her eyes still glued to Galifore's limp body, a miniscule part of her expecting him to twitch, to show her that he was just as indestructible as she had always imagined and taken for granted.

Slowly, Lirain reached up to push her hair away, hair that he had only moments ago pulled her along by, and kissed the side of her neck tenderly. As he did this, he reached forward casually to yank the sword from Galifore's body. It gave a sickening jerk at the movement.

"I said," he whispered, now against her shoulder as be drew the sword back to drive into her, "_you killed him_."

Suddenly, with an abruptness that startled her, but that she knew all too intimately, _it_ was there. That second access of power that she had known only twice before surged forward and the brokenness that had crushed her into place lifted, fury and _loathing _in its place. No matter how hard she discounted it and feared it, turned away, rebuked, it was still very much a part of her. It was always there, something like an abusive lover, certain that she would be back. Now, the option was there for her again with her fury at its highest. It would be more potent than ever.

'_Fight back!'_ she snarled mentally.

Starfire's rage exploded.

Lirain screamed as the waves and waves of green energy burst from her body, surrounding her and protecting her. He was blown backward and the tinkling of shattering glass sounded faintly, seemingly in the distance. Robin's voice shouted her name and she felt a sudden pang of guilt for her neglect of him. If he were to be killed next…

"_No!"_ she screamed and reached out, into the new parts of her. It was impossible to describe what it felt like when she accessed that part of herself. It was almost as if there was a part of her embedded in each of the emerald tendrils. Each of them _were_ her, and yet they moved without her conscious command to protect her. She was aware of them the way she would be aware of her arm or leg. But… it was so much more intense than that. It was intoxicating, the power that flowed from she to the streamers and back and forth.

It was the irresistible pull of that power that scared her most of all.

"You killed him! _You _killed him!" she shouted, searching for Lirain. She felt him easily enough and lunged forward, flying through the multiple, twisting streams of emerald flame to throw a punch at him. He dodged it barely, apparently not ready for her sudden burst of power. His eyes were wide in awe and he reached almost longingly for the nearest streamer. Starfire snarled and attacked him again, this time clipping him on the side of his head. This snapped him from his reverie and he leered at her.

With a yell he disappeared and reappeared before Starfire could follow. He reached out and took hold of her wrist, his grip iron tight. He pulled her close. "You are a stupid and naive girl," he sneered, his grip tightening infinitesimally. "It was my job to kill him, yours to save him. You should have done your part," he taunted. He smiled nastily at her and shook his head and the rage swelled up inside of her again. She tried to lunge at him; anything to hurt him as much as he was hurting her, as he had hurt Galifore. It was clear that she spared no thought for her skill, or lack there of. The only clear, coherent thought she registered was that she had not killed him. She _had not_. Her mind said it. Her mouth screamed it.

But her soul was skeptical.

Lirain growled and jerked to the side, always keeping his firm grip on her wrist. He managed to twist around to take hold of her other wrist, pulling her along as they disappeared together. Suddenly, he had slammed her against the opposite wall, elicting a cry from Starfire as the emerald banners that protected her so fiercely were forced against her back. They burned her the same way that they burned everyone else. The sizzle of her skin was audible over her snarls or outrage. Lirain pressed against her, pinning her body with his. He reached up to cup her face possessively.

"You know, you _will_ be mine by the end of the night. I have always found you beautiful, too pure for your own good. I have no interest in Kormand'r and you are too good for my old wrinkly father. Would you not rather to have me instead?" he cooed. Starfire struggled to free her hands, to escape the fire on her back.

"I would rather die!" she snapped in response. Lirain smirked back down at her.

"You will wish you did, believe me," he chuckled. Starfire shoved forward with all of her strength and managed to loosen his hold. That was all it took for her to reverse their roles. Her hand was at his throat before she could really think about it. The emerald banners bunched and converged around them, surrounding them in a cocoon of sorts. Starfire narrowed her eyes, keeping my grip tight.

"Do you realize what you have done?" she hissed. Lirain did not respond. "Galifore, the _Emperor_, is _dead_. You killed him. You have instigated a rebellion, treacherous bastard! You will be put to death and I will be there to issue the command!" He continued to smirk at her in that infuriatingly smug way. Irrational tears sprung to her eyes. Luckily they were full of fire, literally. The muted hiss of her tears becoming steam was the only clue. "Why?" she choked. "The balance has been tipped, irrevocably. My knorfka, my _father_, is gone forever. How many happy moments did you steal from us?" She released him as she spoke, backing away, her arms wide. "And for what? For this power over this? This damned _rock_? These petty people? Soldiers who will not hesitate to rebel against_ you_ now that you have set the example?" Still he was silent, slumped against the wall where she had left him. Starfire lunged forward, grabbing him, slamming him against the wall. "Damn you, tell me _why!" _Her voice cracked, unable to withstand the waves of misery that raged within her.

For a moment, both of them stilled and time slowed, save Starfire's ragged breathing. The hissing grew louder as her hands shook, her desperation for a _reason_ making her frantic. How she needed to know if there even _was _a rationale for the tons of despair weighing on her shoulders. _'Weakness,' _the same mysterious, female voice accused. Starfire's heart twisted. _'I can rid you of all such weakness.' _Suddenly, and sharply, her despair faded and she was consumed by malice. The feeling was gone just as quickly as it came, but it frightened her, nonetheless. _'You remain such a child…'_

Lirain slowly lifted his head and stared into her eyes, a desperate longing there. Gently, tenderly, he pinched her chin, pulling her closer. Starfire's eyes narrowed, but the look in his eyes kept her from reacting aggressively against him. They were barely a breath's distance apart when he spoke. The deadly seriousness in his voice made her tremble.

"You posses power. It _will _be mine."

With more strength than he had ever demonstrated, Lirain pulled Starfire against him, sealing his mouth over hers. She struggled viciously, but he flipped them once more, caging her with his arms. With an inward growl, she called out to the emerald flames, urging them to attack, to defend her. She could feel them flash, feel them start toward her, but then…

They halted.

Lirain inhaled sharply as Starfire's eyes snapped open and she fought harder to struggle out of his grip. But there was something wrong in the way her body was reacting to her commands. He pulled away to breath, but kept up his possessive hold of her, one hand gripping the back of her neck painfully. "Yes," he breathed and kissed her again. This time, she had no power to fight against him with. She was immobilized. She could no longer control any part of her.

But Lirain could.

She felt it more clearly than she could see it, the dispersion of the barrier around them. It felt so wrong, so unnatural, the way they converged and spread, clearing the path for Starfire to see through them. She caught sight of the Titans easily. It seemed that they had incapacitated Forain. Lirain growled and instantly, a tendril of emerald flame licked toward them. With a grunt, she managed to jerk away from him, to weaken whatever twisted connection he had enlisted Xuun to forge between them and I stared up at him with wide eyes. "What are you doing to me?" she demanded weakly. Lirain leered down at her.

"This power… it's enthralling, Koriand'r. Ah, I might not be able to give it back. Oh, but don't worry, _princess._ I left you something in return," he sneered, pulling away from her tentatively. As soon as he did, she felt it, the nauseating sensation of memories being forced down on her. The feeling sent her into a panic. This was the sensation that had preceded so many horrible memories, memories that hurt in every way imaginable. She struck out blindly, her vision already swimming. She felt my fist connect with someone's cheek before she was gone, immersed in memories. Memories that did not belong to her.

And yet, had everything to do with her.

They… shocked her

They hurt.

'_X'hal, it hurts!'_

"Damn you, what are these lies?" Starfire shrieked unseeingly. She felt her back collide with a wall and an impact near her head. She was still trapped in there, though, in those world shattering memories that _could not _be true.

"What are you talking about, Koriand'r?" Lirain whispered, his voice so near. Starfire flinched away from him, pressing her hands desperately against her ears. Her hands were removed roughly and she could suddenly feel his body pressing against hers, holding her down. His hands roamed her trapped form and once again, a single coherent thought burst through her frenzied haze. He was touching her. She had promised herself.

Could this be real? Or was she just stuck in another memory. Were the hands that pawed at her Tamaranian or Gordanian or Psion or had the impossible demands life had presented her finally been too much for her mind? Had she finally gone insane? The memories sped past her eyes at in a painful blur, never ceasing, never offering her a break. Starfire felt herself shaking. "Stop it," she whispered weakly. Lirain's lips were on her neck and she would have fought him off, but the price of wielding so much power was high. The backlash was setting in. If she did not pull back the power she had released, it would drain her of what little strength she had left, or worse, she would become too weak to control it and it would explode, it would destroy everything.

Lirain leaned closer, whispering, "How does it feel, _your highness_? You are just like me, no you are _less_ than I am. And you have been strutting about the galaxy, feeling high and mighty! Admit it! How many times have you looked upon the throne, the throne that I have coveted since I could understand the concept, and envisioned yourself there? How dare you! You are _nothing!_" He was screaming by the end of his tirade and with a fury he crashed his lips down on hers again, kissing her fiercely. He forced her mouth open, he bit her lips, he was grabbing her and suddenly she _knew_. There was no longer any doubt that what she was seeing was absolutely true.

'_I was a fool,'_ she raged internally, _'I was their toy, their plaything, their _gun. _Lirain is not lying… I am nothing.'_

She was no longer in denial; her revelation had stripped her of any rage that she had left. All that remained was despair, hallow and nauseating. She could not breathe, the words of her youth echoing back to her again and again, '_Fight, Koriand'r… That is not enough… When your sister takes the throne… Insolent… Not good enough… You will never be good enough… The girl… The fool… Nothing… Nothing… Nothing…' _

Tears were in her eyes. Blood on her face, Lirain had bit me a little too hard. But, she was nothing, wasn't she? Why… he had said that he wanted her. That she was beautiful. He touched her so differently than Robin did. Robin. Where was he? She wanted him, but he deserved something more than she, more than an aesthetically pleasing weapon. Just for the slightest moment, she kissed him back, needing to know that she was more than nothing just for a moment. She just… needed… she needed…

"_Mother fucker!"_

Robin. Starfire's eyes snapped open, her vision swimming from who knows how many minutes without air. He grabbed Lirain and threw him off of her, but he underestimated Lirain's hold. The pair of them crashed to the ground and Starfire felt her head crack against the floor. The room swam around her again and she gasped at a pain in her abdomen.

"Shit, a fractured rib, she's messed up," someone muttered. Raven's voice floated and wrapped around her, both soothing and agonizing her, but her mind was muddled. Too muddled to make sense of her own emotions. She felt a cool touch on her forehead, her temples, and bit her lip, thinking it was Raven. Her head throbbed horribly and the room grew darker with every throb. Everything was hurting…

"Damn it, Princess, don't do this shit to me! Wake up, get a grip, just don't do it this way!" Starfire had never known Keenyara's voice to be so desperate. But the room was so dark now. It was time to sleep.

"Not this way."

"I do not want to be nothing"

"Starfire…"

-!-

"_Wake up, you!" _

_Starfire jerked awake with a cry and was immediately and absolutely confronted with herself. _

_Starfire blinked in confusion. The girl in front of her could have been her twin, almost. She looked a bit smaller than Starfire was, younger maybe. Her eyes were alight with starbolts, though she did not seem angry. Maybe she seemed impatient. She was crouching near Starfire's head, leaning close, so that the scars and bruises that marred her pretty face were clearly visible. The bitterness and malice there were not hard to spot either. _

_Starfire sat up slowly, watching this new her wearily. Things had gotten very peculiar lately and she knew better than to trust the things that she could not understand. _

"_What are you?" she demanded firmly. Her copy gave her a bewildered look, somehow managing to make it look angry. She moved slowly around to face Starfire, her eyes vigilant. _

"_A Tamaranian," she replied matter-of-factly. She tilted her head. "Why, what are you?" Starfire narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw. She leaned forward into this second Starfire's face. _

"_I am real," she snapped. "Can you say the same?" This younger version of Starfire did not shy away and instead bristled, her hands balling into fists. _

"_Take a look around, princess! Are you sure about that?" Starfire blinked and did as she had instructed. Her stomach dropped. The polished, marble floor in swirling patterns of emerald and sapphire, the color of her eyes and Robins. The green stone walls, sanded to a satin-like smooth. The pristine condition in which it was in. _

_The absence of a door. _

_But then, she had no use for her own pretenses. She blinked and within one moment and the next, the room destroyed itself, the walls crumbling, the floors becoming scuffed and cracked, the room thrown into disarray. This was the true condition of her mind, cracked and damaged, although the walls had begun to repair themselves throughout her stay on Earth. She had been healing. In one night, her walls had fallen to the floor once again. Lirain, Xuun, Forain, together, they had knocked them down. _

_The new her watched silently with a glowering expression as she took in her surroundings. Starfire looked back at her with a new, appraising expression. "I want a straight answer," she said again. "What are you?" This time, the girl did not look confused or angry. Instead, a fierce, bitter smile stretched across her face and she leaned closer with an intense gleam in her eye. _

"_I am the solution, young one," she whispered intently. Starfire's eyes widened and she suddenly longed for whatever answer it was that this strange, young, bold version of herself was offering to her. _

"_Stop it. Now. You know how this works." _

_Starfire started. The words were in her tone, her pitch, her _voice_. She whipped around to find another version of her, glaring reproachfully at the other, younger her. This time, the copy of her was identical, with the same maturity, but with a kind of ancient sadness about the eyes. Her skin was smooth and unscathed, her hair hung perfectly down her back. Starfire regarded herself critically. _

_Was she was nothing, but a carefully maintained charade? Did none of her old pain make it out through her eyes? Was it possible that she had known all along the lies she had been raised on, and therefore simply built off of them? _

_But no. She could not think of that, even here in her own mind. It still hurt too much. _

_The two versions of her glared hatefully at each other momentarily, and Starfire could easily see some sort of communication passing between them. However, the moment was over long before Starfire could say anything about it. Both of these intruders stood, simultaneously, and backed away from her. They still had their eyes locked on each other, but it seemed that it was more out of suspicion than to communicate anything. Starfire curled her hands into fists. _

"_I am quite tired of being kept in the dark and being manipulated especially," she growled quietly. "Who are you? Both of you, and what do you want from me?" Both of their answers came instantly, simultaneously, though not identically. _

"_We are a part of you. We want to make it complete," they declared. They younger one's voice was low, alluring, and dark, and Starfire suddenly identified it as the anonymous female voice that had hounded her throughout her ordeal. Her copy's voice was lighter, more pleading than intoxicating. Starfire narrowed her eyes, focusing on their last statement. _

"_I see. Do you both wish to make me something I am not, too? If so, you may want to join the line, so to speak. What is it that _you_ need me to be? A warrior? A leader, perhaps? Or maybe an incubator to make pretty babies. Or better yet, a whore. None of the responsibility there, you see." They younger her sneered at her, standing. _

"_Oh, poor Starfire. She's been manipulated and taken advantage of, unlike the rest of the people in the universe. Yes, it has been __just her__ who has experienced such treatment, has it not? The rest of the world is a fair, wonderful place, but life just will not stop picking on poor, pathetic, little Starfi—"_

_Starfire sprang at her, a snarl that she did not recognize ripping from her. Her hand curled around the girl's collar and she jerked her forward until they were practically nose to nose. "You speak of things you know nothing of," she hissed. "They killed him." To her surprise, starbolts appeared at the girl's hands, bolts that stung her. She jerked her hands away. _

"_Then fight back against them!" the girl shouted and suddenly, Starfire knew who she was. She could see her, writhing in pain and strapped to the medical table. She could see her fighting for her virtue. She could see her pinned under Firrn's body, and then breaking forth with emerald streamers, breaking everything and everyone in sight. _

_Starfire narrowed her eyes. "K'trina?" she whispered cautiously. The girl nodded and leaned closer, her voice low, quick, and vehement. _

"_You remember, don't you? You remember what we did to Firrn and to all of those who __dared__ to claim our body! You remember the feeling when we chased our mother away on Earth. We were powerful. __We__ were the ones in control. And now, now that they have taken the most precious thing to us away, what is it that we will do?" _

_Starfire was mesmerized, unable to look away from the blazing emerald eyes that bore into hers. Her own eyes were alight now. "What will we do?" she asked breathlessly. K'trina grinned sinisterly. _

"_We will __fight!__"_

_The older version of her was on her feet now. "No! It does not work this way!" she shouted. She attempted to force herself between Starfire and K'trina, but K'trina gave her a single blow to the chest and she flew backward, knocking down another wall. Their surroundings were changing again, the sapphire color in the floor dulling and disappearing and the walls darkening. A thin, twisting, silver pattern began to weave itself throughout the floor and the walls and Starfire remembered them with malice as the same patterns that Psions had carved into her skin, their ancient language as they invoked the forbidden dark magic in hopes of keeping her alive. _

"_Silence, you!" K'trina snapped at the other copy, tilting her head back blissfully as the outline made its way over her own body. Starfire cried out as the pattern began to circle up her legs, over her hips, her abdomen, her arms, neck and face until they touched her eyes. As soon as they made contact, the dull, silver patterns blazed with the same emerald fire as her eyes. She was there again, with blades carving out her skin, making her into something she had never asked to be… _

_K'trina's eyes were vigilant upon hers and she took Starfire's hand. "That is it," she whispered huskily. "You feel it, do you not. They took __everything__ away from us. They shaped us and molded us until we did not know ourselves and made us what we are now." _

"_Abomination," Starfire hissed. K'trina grinned. _

"_You remember," she answered approvingly. But then her grin disappeared. Her eyes narrowed. "But were they the firsts to destroy us?" Starfire shook her head. _

"_I thought… No, they were not! It began so long before," she answered in a gasping whisper. _

"_It began with Tamaran, did it not? It began when they decided that we were nothing but a __gun__. They twisted us until that was all we could see in the mirror!" _

"_Galifore saw more in me…"_

"_And they took him away! They __killed him__, thinking that with him gone, they could take control of us. They could claim their weapon and point us in the right direction. They thought they could, that they had the __right__, to control us…"_

"_Never," Starfire growled. K'trina grinned. _

"_That is what I like to hear." _

"_How to do it?" _

"_Give me control—" _

"_Starfire, stop this! And you, you know she does not know the rules, she does not know what she is doing!" The second Starfire was back, this time with a limp. For a moment, Starfire thought it was from the blow she had taken, but then she noticed how pale she was, how her red hair had lost its sheen. Something was weakening her. Did it have anything to do with what K'trina was saying to her, doing to her mind? K'trina took hold of Starfire's upper arms and turned her back to face her. _

"_No one ever said I would play fair," she whispered and Starfire felt a chill go through her. Her eyes locked unyieldingly on Starfire. "They wanted a gun, a power source. __I_ _can show them what happens when they choose a weapon they cannot control. I can make them __pay__." Starfire's eyes went wide with sudden longing. Suddenly, it did not matter, __nothing__ mattered except the fact that someone could make them pay. _

_Pay for all of the lonely nights. Pay for the blows. Pay for the fights. Pay for the blood. Pay for the nights and days, the __life__ of terror. Pay for the shame. Pay for the agony. Pay for the hands that had touched her when she didn't want it and for the ones that she __did_ _want (The touch on her forehead, the pat on her back) and yet, never got. Pay for the scars, the damage that kept her from being everything she knew Robin deserved. Pay for the glow that lit her eyes and hands and the very call of her anger. Pay for taking away her humanity, so to speak. _

_Pay for Galifore's dead body. _

"_Do it. Do what you have to, take what you have to… do it." _

_K'trina smiled triumphantly, and Starfire's mind began to fade, to shimmer around the edges. She was awakening, returning to the real world. But now, there was a new awareness that Starfire surrendered to, allowing herself to fall away, to forget herself. After all, she was nothing. _

_But now, she was revenge. _

_She could barely hear what was happening around her, Robin's cry of surprise, Lirain's swearing. There was a sickening crunch and the sensation of bone cracking beneath her iron grasp. And through it all, K'trina's triumphant laughter as she pulled Keenyara, her guardian, close, twisting her arm hard, and whispering intimately. "She is ours now."_

"_You lose."_

_

* * *

_

Review, if you please!


	20. Chapter 19 ::DoubleSided::

Wow, guys, it's been a long time, huh? I'm really sorry about the long wait and everything, but things have been really busy and going amazingly well for me. A few weeks ago, I got signed to Barbizon Models and Acting! I'm in their training program now and in about four months now I'll be fully signed into the agency! The classes are only once a month, but they're intense and take up some serious time. So that's my amazing news of the... update time thing...

Last Time:

(NOTE: Yes, there is a bit of a time lapse between the last chapter and this one. Think twenty minutes or so. Not a lot, but my betas were confused on it.)

_Starfire's eyes went wide with sudden longing. Suddenly, it did not matter, nothing mattered except the fact that someone could make them pay. _

_Pay for all of the lonely nights. Pay for the blows. Pay for the fights. Pay for the blood. Pay for the nights and days, the __life__ of terror. Pay for the shame. Pay for the agony. Pay for the hands that had touched her when she didn't want it and for the ones that she __did_ _want (The touch on her forehead, the pat on her back) and yet, never got. Pay for the scars, the damage that kept her from being everything she knew Robin deserved. Pay for the glow that lit her eyes and hands and the very call of her anger. Pay for taking away her humanity, so to speak. _

_Pay for Galifore's dead body. _

"_Do it. Do what you have to, take what you have to… do it." _

_K'trina smiled triumphantly, and Starfire's mind began to fade, to shimmer around the edges. She was awakening, returning to the real world. But now, there was a new awareness that Starfire surrendered to, allowing herself to fall away, to forget herself. After all, she was nothing. _

_But now, she was revenge. _

_She could barely hear what was happening around her, Robin's cry of surprise, Lirain's swearing. There was a sickening crunch and the sensation of bone cracking beneath her iron grasp. And through it all, K'trina's triumphant laughter as she pulled Keenyara, her guardian, close, twisting her arm hard, and whispering intimately. "She is ours now."_

"_You lose."_

Chapter 19 :Double-Sided: 

Keenyara felt nothing. 

At least, emotionally. Physically, she was drowning in her own pain. Her left arm was effectively useless, dead weight at her side and only waves of burning pain to remind her she had it. A dislocated shoulder and a shattered wrist, she was sure. The front of her shirt was soaked in her blood, from a gash at her temple that flowed freely down the side of her face and over her neck, in addition to the nasty wound that ran diagonally from her left shoulder to the center of her chest. Bruises splotched and peppered her skin. She was seeing double from a collision head first into a wall. Her body was weak with the waves of pain, but she kept her emotions carefully blank. 

She had failed. It was a sensation she was definitely unused to. Of course, like any other person, she had her share of failed endeavors, but not many, not enough to make it any easier to deal with this one. No matter how much or how often she exaggerated her powers, the fact remained that she was excellent at what she did, and she did just about whatever she wanted to. Failure was foreign to her and so she rejected what was surely supposed to do go along with it. 

She was not sad, she was not devastated, sorry, or even disappointed. Instead, she was resigned. It was done. She had failed, Starfire was lost to the other side and now, she was willing to let Starfire smack her around a bit before the end. Hopefully, the Portal would survive and get out, would remain untainted. The Princess had been lost, and Keenyara was to blame. Starfire was as good as dead. There was nothing left to do but move on. 

She had given herself to the other side, the darker side. She was not Starfire anymore, only a personification of Starfire's anger, Starfire's vendettas, Starfire's hatred. She was nothing but a shadow. And the real Starfire was never coming back.

Keenyara remembered Kilaani's vehement refusal when she had told her that the mission was failed, that they were too late to save her precious princess. She remembered Robin's enraged face as he cursed her for saying such things about her. His face had been strangely pale, despite his words. Keenyara would have snorted with the memory, had she been able to breathe properly. Kilaani, Robin, all of them really, were fools, children in most senses of the word. They was too naïve for their own good, a trait that ran rampant in this strange dimension, one that seemed to have all of the answers laid out in bold and the sharp corners rubbed away. The playroom reality they lived in had made them brazen, foolishly confident in things they knew nothing of. _"Perhaps she may be brought back!"_ Kilaani had pled. _"Starfire is too strong to let something like this take control of her,"_ Robin had snapped.

They were wrong. Keenyara had lived that life, had been born in the hell that spawned the beast that commanded Starfire's body now. She carried a part of that evil inside of her. She knew its rage, its sick pleasures. She knew its call and its allure. She knew the immeasurable bond it held on with once it had a hold. Only one person had ever been able to break its hold and that was Keenyara, and even she had been unable to make herself completely free. She still fought it. She still slipped. She still lost control. 

Keenyara remembered the agony it was just to fight away from its complete control. No one had ever done it before. No one had done it since. And Starfire, despite her complicated and painful and strengthening past would not be able to do it now. It was nothing but simple fact. 

She was too weak. 

Keenyara tossed her head, regarding the brilliant emerald eyes that glared so blankly back at her. The hand around her neck, impossibly strong and impossibly warm, contracted again, cutting her air supply. Her hand was still tight around Starfire's wrist. She could still hear the Titans, still fighting Lirain beyond the wall, still fighting to get to her. Not for long. Starfire was just playing with her now. The beast was flaunting its new body. If she remembered correctly, Starfire's power coupled with her new owner's ruthlessness would easily kill her. Perhaps not quickly, but definitely. 

"Do it. Rip my throat out. Fry my brains. Whatever. Make things harder on yourself, I don't care. She'll start to fight the moment I'm dead, I'll make sure of it. So go ahead. I'll make hell for you on the way out," Keenyara hissed, the wind swirling protectively around her as she spoke. She waited, wheezing to draw breath as Starfire seemed to think about it. Suddenly, she fell to the ground, her airway unobstructed. Keenyara sucked in air greedily, her hand on her throat. 

"Keenyara, stand." Keenyara cursed viciously as her muscles bunched, forcing her to stand against her will. "Spread your arms and do not move," Starfire continued, walking in a very small circle around her. "I must be able to see your hands. You are crafty, I will admit." Keenyara's arms snapped out and she found herself immobilized.

And enraged. 

Who was this, a spoiled princess, too weak and obsessed with her own angst to face the realities of life? She was a _child_ and yet, she had acquired power over her. Keenyara had been annoyed enough by this fact when it was innocent, but now, those idiot angels had handed the enemy the means to her destruction. 

"You must not be allowed to leave. With you out of the way our way to the Portal is clear. You must die." Keenyara was trembling, her anger mounting, her own darkness wearing on her control. She leaned forward, her eyes narrowed into her trademark scowl. 

"Then kill me," she hissed, her chilling voice full of venom. Starfire seemed unaffected by this. 

"However, I cannot kill you—"

"Don't bullshit me! I know what's really going on here—" 

Starfire suddenly drew into the air, and raised her arms to her sides and then forcing them simultaneously at Keenyara. Blindingly, twin streaks of emerald whipped forward and licked across Keenyara's wrists, opening several crisscrossing gashes. Keenyara hissed in surprise and in pain, almost silently. "Perhaps an indirect death would be best," Starfire continued, as if Keenyara had never spoken. She turned, as if to leave as Keenyara turned her wide-mouthed gaze from her bleeding wounds to Starfire's retreating back, momentarily dumbfounded. 

Her fury exploded with the force of a whirlwind. With a feral snarl that sounded as if it were better suited to come from a tiger, Keenyara shattered the spell and flung herself forward, taking a handful of Starfire's ruby locks and snatching her backward. The air around them roiled furiously and yet, Starfire was the only one hindered. 

Without any conscious thought, Keenyara drew her staff, swinging it with all of her might. She was hardly satisfied with the sharp crack that resulted. Her sharp, exotic features had been twisted past their normal expression of derision and mock and into one of pure hatred and loathing. 

And rage. 

A stream of words that sounded more like the whistling of storm winds than an actual language issued from Keenyara and her hair was released from its braid, the long strands whipping around her crazily. She attacked sporadically and viciously, forcing Starfire back and to the ground. The ferocity of her fighting was getting through to Starfire, she was reeling from the blows that seemed to come from everywhere. The insane winds were interfering with the emerald banners she called. And through it all, Keenyara's blood poured from her wrists.

"_Ssh'anil hanishiwass! Yaswin 'shinainsh! What right have you—"_ The language slipped into a purer form, one that seemed to be the sound of pure wind only as Keenyara's eyes pulsed into a steady glow. She managed to knock Starfire to the ground, pinning her staff over her shoulders. _"Fuanih'issa— my old wounds— aufa rrishi'na lissaia!" _

Starfire's eyes flared and she heaved, throwing Keenyara off of her. But the wind pushed down harder, keeping the wind incarnate firmly on top of her. Keenyara reached forward and seized the Tamaranian by the neck, mindful of her nails, making sure to use them. She hissed down at her, a long, deep, threatening sound, like a snake. She leaned down and whispered almost sensually in Starfire's ear, though she shoved her staff hard into her windpipe. 

"Guess what, princess? I may empathize, I may know what you are going through, what you _are, _but don't think that stops me. You are _nothing_ to me. _I will kill you."_

Starfire's previously smooth, impassive face twisted into a momentary look of fear. She blinked, and suddenly she was a girl again, was the true Starfire again. She gasped haltingly through Keenyara's attack. Her eyes filled with confusion and panic and pain and suddenly, without thinking she shoved, the star fire that bent to her will reacting to her sudden panic. 

Blood spurt forth, splashing across Starfire's chest as Keenyara went flying. She struggled into a sitting position, surprised at the pain the action caused her. She was aware of her shirt becoming soaked. Looking down, she saw that it was blood that did it. She had a deep wound on the left side of her chest, directly where her heart would be. Keenyara touched the blood and looked up at Starfire, a dark expression on her face. 

And just that quickly, that small display of emotion was wiped from Starfire's face and she turned, ready to flee. Keenyara, seeing that she was about to loose her chance, grabbed around frantically for something, anything, and flung the first thing her hands laid on. Starfire sneered and disappeared, from the bubble of energy.

And then she was gone. 

Keenyara never knew what happened next. 

The light that surrounded her suddenly flared, and she was instantly buffeted by the intense heat, blinded by the white energy, deafened by the roar of it all. Keenyara almost stopped breathing with the pain of it all. She had always been sensitive to sounds, even before she knew what she really was, when she was mostly human. She could not even lift her other hand to shield her ears. There was a light pop that sent her reeling in pain again and she felt a trickle over both sides of her neck. 

And even worse than the pain was the sudden, unbidden panic. She was suddenly _blind_. Of course, the absence of her eyesight was nothing to her. She was not afraid of the dark. In a former life the darkness had been her savior, her home. She had been without eyesight before and had flourished under the "handicap". But she had cheated then. As long as she could feel the air, the wind, as long as she had that connection, she had all of the sight that she needed. Even when she looked with her eyes she was always feeling with that other sense. It was a part of who she was. 

But the heat was too intense, it was pitching and rolling the air in strange patterns that disoriented her. And the barrier it posed had cut her off from the outside room, from the outside world. Keenyara's skin was drenched and her eyes were frantic and for one agonizing moment her mind held nothing but the acknowledgement that she _could not see_. 

And through it all, she continued to bleed.

So she cheated again, in a different way. She had promised herself, promised _him_ that she would do this herself, but damn it if she wasn't mortal. She was allowed her moments of weakness, no matter how rare they were. Maybe she was unwilling to share those moments, sure, but not from him and him alone. 

Everything dimmed. Everything contracted until she was in the darkness once again; reality was nothing but a movie screen in the distance. This darkness comforted her because it meant that no one could see her. Her senses dulled and, for once, she was okay with it. With them went her anger and her fear. It would all be over soon. His calm, slightly cocky presence was instantly surrounding her. She could almost feel his arms around her waist. The sensation intensified as he became fully present, leaving behind whatever reality he was in at her call. They made their own little world together, here. Without a word, she sagged against him, letting him support her.

"_I've missed you," _his voice whispered from somewhere between her neck and her shoulder. Keenyara smiled, for once, a smile that was void of mocking and dislike. Of course, his first words would never be a rebuke. She reached up unseeingly and ran her fingers gently through his short locks, just as soft and fine as she remembered. She could feel that it fell into eyes now, a touch longer than she remembered it. He kissed her, just below her ear, and reached forward to ghost two fingers from the center of her forehead, over her nose, her lips, her chin, until his hand rested on her throat. She tilted her head back and breathed a sigh of contentment. 

"Of course you did," she answered softly. She tilted her head until it was resting against his. "I missed you, too." He smiled against her skin, his fingers moving over her throat tenderly. The action made her grin, made her remember how it used to unsettle her, his upbringing and culture so different than her own. She grabbed his hand and brought it to her lips, kissing his wrist with a small, peculiar sound in the back of her throat. He laughed at her. 

"_Not that I wasn't hoping that you would change your mind—"_

"What?" Keenyara interrupted, one eyebrow arched incredulously. He chuckled embarrassedly. 

"_Well, you just seemed so intent on doing this alone and __**I**__certainly didn't want to be the clingy, needy one in this relationship," _he answered, ducking his head so that his forehead was resting against her shoulder. Keenyara laughed once. 

"I don't see why. You absolutely are." He scoffed at her. 

"_Yes, well, some would beg to differ, but I still would like to know why the sudden change of heart." _

Keenyara did not answer for a few moments. Finally, without inflection, she murmured, "I'm dying." She felt him start and the strange, non-physical way he shifted to peer through her consciousness. Keenyara panicked, reached out and stopped him, barring his way. Of course, he could do nothing without her permission when it came to her side. But he had touched the surface. He winced. "Now was that really the smartest choice?" she muttered, turning to cup his cheek, ready to comfort him if need be. She jumped slightly as she felt him trace the shell of her ear lightly.

"_That had to have hurt you. That hurt me. Your ears were bleeding."_ Keenyara could hear the pain and concern in his voice and she kissed his cheek to reassure him. 

"You wanted to know why I was here. There you go." Now it was his turn to pause. 

"_It is unsettling, isn't it? No matter how many times it happens, it never feels natural," _he answered thoughtfully. Keenyara did not answer. _"If you are here, you must not feel that there is any hope, no chance of fighting your way out. That is very different for you. I have never seen you give up. You are normally determined to the point of stupidity."_ His words lost some of their sting with the fact that he was kissing and nibbling just under her chin in the most delicious of ways. 

Keenyara leaned away from him, regardless. "This isn't a matter of _giving up!" _she snapped acidly, her face hard. "_It_ has her. I can't do shit about _her_ fucking _choice_." Instantly, his hands were moving up and down her back and he was kissing her temple. 

"_Point taken, Bai, I got it. You know what I meant anyway. No need to jump down my throat." _It helped that as he spoke he was running his hands over her shoulders and neck. And he had called her 'Bai.' Keenyara could hardly express to herself how much she had missed the nickname.She huffed and leaned against him again. He took hold of her chin and tilted her face upward. Keenyara felt their noses collide and she leaned onto him even more heavily. 

"_I will stay with you."_ Soft lips moved against hers gently for a moment, but with quickly mounting passion. Keenyara sighed, her hands sliding down his arms. Time lost meaning for her as she waited for her body to give up.

-!-

"Starfire! _Starfire_!" 

K'trina stilled instantly, her new eyes gone wide. The girl, the vessel inside of her, stirred and sharply, K'trina clamped down on her control. It was not hard, of course. Starfire had been dragged through many trials in all phases of her life. There had been darkness in her soul long before the Other Side had come to claim it. The result was that K'trina had a nice, secure nest holding her in place. She had control.

But apparently, her hold was not as complete as she had thought.

"Starfire, I know you're here! I know you can hear me! Star, please come talk to me. I can help you. It doesn't have to be this way. Let me help you… please." K'trina pressed her lips into a thin line. She could not remember drawing the boy into the cocoon of the girl's (of course, she meant _her_) power. It was not a large matter, however. Starfire _belonged_ to her, now; even the protectress knew it. She had been willing to dispose of the body. This small bump would be quashed. The boy was no threat to her. She wheeled and ran to meet him. 

It was easy, natural, to pass through the bright, burning barriers she had erected around. They were, after all, a part of her. It was no time at all before she had caught sight of him, of _Robin_. Again, the girl inside of her stirred. Again, K'trina shoved her away. It was almost easier the second time. _'Good,'_ K'trina thought, _'She's learning her place.'_

Robin's eyes went wide as he finally laid eyes on Starfire, his Starfire. She was blood-stained and bruised. Thin, almost delicate-looking, luminous, emerald patterns twisted intricately around her stomach, her neck, her arms, forearms, wrists, and down her legs. She had become a familiar stranger. He knew so intimately those ruby tresses and orange-tinted skin. He knew the large, green eyes that would peer hopefully, angrily, or persuasively, but always lovingly. The blankness that stared out of them now was foreign, however. And even when just a flicker of emotion played across her face, it was rage. It was fury. It was pain. 

She stopped, only a few yards away from him, and though Robin had never in his life feared his best friend (save their initial meeting), Robin found himself instinctively shying away from the darkness that radiated from her body. Robin's heart was breaking. "You," he began in a hoarse whisper, "You aren't Starfire." 

Keenyara was missing, had last been seen with an emerald tendril snaked around her torso. Her last words had been as much of a warning and a condemnation. Kilaani's warning echoed grimly in his mind. The palace would come down within the hour. Fact. Starfire was the one who would destroy it. Fact. Starfire was not Starfire anymore. He gulped.

Fact. 

'_No hope. There's nothing left. I am not Starfire anymore. Leave me…'_

K'trina's mouth twitched as the mournful and unbidden thought whispered in the corner of her consciousness. The presence was weak, and yet, the sorrow washed over her strongly, feeding her power. She smothered the smile quickly, however. 

"How are you here?" she asked, almost conversationally. Robin's face was slowly was draining of feeling. His expression mirrored hers now. 

"You brought me here," he answered. "Just like Keenyara." There was a heavy silence between them. Robin gazed at the blood smeared so liberally across her torso and K'trina stared stoically back at him. 

"Why did you bring him?" She gestured at the unconscious Tamaranian traitor crumpled at Robin's feet. Robin shrugged, his hand contracting on Lirain's sword. 

"I was fighting him at the time. Avenging my girlfriend, you know. Neither of us would let go. I think he wanted a piece of you himself. I got a little overzealous. Starfire knows what I mean." 

K'trina's eyes narrowed at him. "I am—"

"No!" 

Robin's cry was met with shock, with silence. K'trina felt the power behind the words and to her surprise, Robin stalked forward, quickly closing the distance between the two of them. "You aren't Starfire. I don't know _what_ you are, but you're _not Starfire_." K'trina's reaction was little more than instinct, Starfire's instinct this time. Her fist flew forward, and she opened her hand at the last moment, hoping not to wound him too severely and bring on the vessel's struggling. What she did not expect was for Robin to dodge easily out of the way, his hand closing securely around her wrist. He yanked sharply on her arm, pulling her closer. His face was suddenly determined, tight with righteous fury, irony not lost on K'trina. "You are, however, using Starfire's moves." 

K'trina screwed up her face, giving Robin an anguished look. "Robin, you are… hurting me," she whimpered, an impressive imitation of Starfire's words, the night he had grabbed her arm and shook her, screamed at her. K'trina watched with amusement as Robin's demeanor faltered. She had seen through Starfire's memories the affect the words would have on him, the affect they would have on him for the rest of his life. Starfire had discovered it the first time after a sparring match. They had been wrestling playfully. He had pinned her. The words had been so trivial to her, but his face had fallen, paled and he could hardly bring himself to touch her for hours. 

Humans. They were so easy to toy with. 

Suddenly, Robin kicked out, knocking her legs from under her and forcing her to the ground. He winced, hearing the sharp crack that was her head colliding with the floor, but he did not let up, keeping a tight grip on her wrists as he pinned them over her head. For some reason, the green star fire no longer needed to be in contact with her for her to control it. Robin was thankful that he would not hurt her at least in that way. "Starfire will forgive me," he growled under his breath. He leaned down over her, glad that he had decided on making his entire uniform fire proof. He could feel the heat from the swirling tattoos that covered her body. He was thankful for his gloves as he took hold of her face, forcing her to look at him. He was poised to speak, when K'trina leaned up, her face twisted into a snarl, the likes of which had never graced Starfire's face. 

"So I can't trick you, huh? What, I don't make a good Starfire?" she pouted. "Well then, let's understand each other. Starfire doesn't belong to you anymore." K'trina smiled and innocent smile, one that made her look too much like Starfire. "She's mine. I've killed with her hands. They belong to me now." 

A block of ice dropped into the pit of Robin's stomach and stupidly, his grip loosened on her wrists. "Keenyara," he whispered, stunned, unable to imagine the pure force that was Keenyara snuffed out. K'trina was quick. With a jerk, she took her hands back and grabbed onto Robin's shoulders, slamming her forehead into his. Stars exploded in front of his eyes and he was thrown backward. K'trina was over him quickly, her hands pressing down on his chest. 

"You don't have to lose her, though," she whispered. Robin was reeling from the sudden, erratic changes in her moods. She gazed deeply into his mask, her lips never quite coming close to his. "I have friends, friends who would be happy to have your body. You could be his the way she is mine. Would you like that, Robin?" she purred. Robin growled and tried to shove her off, but K'trina took his arm. Her face fell and then brightened. "Perhaps you would rather hear it directly from Starfire? It really isn't so bad, you know." Her eyes went blank momentarily and suddenly, Starfire's eyes were her own again. Robin, however, took no comfort in this. 

Her eyes were wide, panicked. She shuddered and reeled backward, away from him, her eyes glued to her chest, her arms, her stomach, everywhere that was coated with foreign blood. A heart-wrenching sob, tore from her throat and Robin reached forward instinctively, desperate to soothe her. With blinding speed, she recoiled, putting even more distance between the two of them. 

"Robin? What…" tears spilled from her eyes, "What did I do? What have I done…" She was trembling, wiping her hands shakily and unknowingly over her skirt over and over again in hopes of ridding herself of the bloodstains. Suddenly, her back arched and she whimpered. "_You promised me_— I… I killed… I never wanted— _all I ever wanted was to __**be**__,"_ she wailed. Her arms came around herself then, hunching her shoulders, her eyes screwed shut. "Leave me here! Never let her have you! Leave me, kill me, anythi—" A strangled choke cut her off and K'trina reappeared, her lips pursed together in an expression of annoyance. 

"Well she wasn't very convincing…" 

Robin made several discoveries at that moment, very quickly. Firstly, he _knew_ Starfire was in there, inside of her body, being held hostage. Up until that point, he had been praying and going on a hunch. It was a desperate need to reach her that had fueled him thus far. Now, however, he had proof that Starfire was alive and that she could fight with his help. There was hope again. 

Secondly, he knew that whoever this was who had taken over Starfire's body was strong. Impossibly strong. Anything that could force Starfire to kill, and kill a comrade, someone Starfire considered herself indebted to, had to have more than just a casual hold over her mind. Starfire would not be able to break free on her own. She _needed_ him. 

Finally, he knew, without a doubt:

He would _never_ leave her. 

Robin lunged forward, taking hold once more of K'trina's face firmly, pressing his body against hers. His grip was tight, he was sure to leave bruises, but he could not afford to be gentle. He paused only to rip his mask away, pleased when a shudder rocked through Starfire's body and K'trina snarled at him. He shoved her down again, sitting on her in the way he had learned to in order to keep his place, and leaned closer, pressing his cheek against hers. 

"I'm not leaving you. I will _never_ leave you," he whispered intensely. "You have to take back control!" 

K'trina shuddered and stilled, breathing heavily. "Robin?" she mewed as she trembled beneath him. Robin held his breath as her eyes grew wide and she shook her head weakly, gazing mournfully up at him. "Robin… you are a fool!" K'trina snorted in disgust and tried to crack her skull against his once again. Robin drew backward quickly, his eyes searching hers for any sign that he had gotten through. The snarl was back on K'trina's face. There was no sign of Starfire. 

"Don't you get it?" she hissed, her luminous eyes flickering and stuttering in what Robin assumed was anger. "She can't escape me. She could never escape me! She can hardly _hear_ you!" K'trina reached out and took hold of Robin's shoulder, throwing him away purely with her strength. Robin rolled a few yards and then leapt to his feet, and began dodging the blows K'trina began throwing at him. She fought fiercely, more fiercely than Robin had ever seen Starfire. He quickly began to accumulate bruises on his forearms, all the while trying to concentrate on the words she was shouting. 

"How dare you challenge my power! Why, can't you recognize me? I am the one she fears, the one she cowered from!" She caught hold of his wrist as he tried to counter her strikes, her grip instantly tightening agonizingly. "_I _am K'trina, human, and I will rule as my mother told me I would." Robin finally grunted in pain, practically feeling his bones groan under the pressure. Something in K'trina's eyes shifted as she continued to rave. "I will be everything she forced me to be and _more_. I will—"

She dropped him abruptly, drawing away. The hand that had just released him was clenching and spasming as the other was balled into a fist, pressed into her temple. Her eyes were flashing haltingly. "You can't— _I will never—_ you took the trade, Starfire!— _You will not make me hurt him!_" Her eyes pulsed again. "Why do you care for him? He obviously shares no such care for you! You remember what he said to you, to _us_, how callously he presumed to know of our turmoil over Tamaran? Starfire, we are of the same side, of the same wants and needs and—" Starfire's body shuddered and the light of her eyes began to flicker once more. _"I owe him my life, no matter his feelings toward me,"_ she whispered. She shuddered again. "I believe you owed Keenyara the same favor, and yet, you are drenched in her blood…"

Robin watched with wide eyes as Starfire fought for dominance, and suddenly, he knew what to do. He eyed the white hot patterns the twisted around her neck and jerked his gloves off resolutely, ready for one more desperate advance. In one swift movement, Robin grabbed her, hissing as the marks burned themselves into his palms. He pulled her tighter to him, murmured a quick prayer and kissed her. 

-!-

Starfire's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she whimpered against Robin's mouth, her hands moving of their own accord to entwine themselves in his hair. His lips were so soft, his kiss nowhere near gentle, and yet it was caring. Starfire was forced to think of and compare it to Lirain's kiss. Her lips still bled from his ferocity. But Robin was kissing her as if she mattered, as if she were a part of the kiss too. Starfire felt tears welling in her eyes.

And then, suddenly, she felt _her_. K'trina's presence surged, trying to lock her away again, back into that dark corner of her own mind. Starfire reacted with the ferocity that could only be expected when it came to Robin. 

Starfire _shoved_. She felt herself, her awareness swell, reclaiming the body that had been changed and manipulated since the age of two. It had always been _hers_ though, no matter what kinds of changes it had been forced through. It had always belonged to her. It _would _be hers again. When it came to Robin, Starfire did not share. 

It hurt though, emotionally and physically. It felt as if something inside of her was slowly tearing away and the more, the harder she pulled, the more painful the separation became. She could not help but to break the kiss, resting her forehead against his cheek, shaking and whimpering. Slowly, as if it were painful for him, Robin's grip shifted from the back of her neck to cup her cheek gently, his body still tense against hers. Starfire bit her lip, realizing that he was poised to spring away at any moment. 

"Starfire." Starfire thought she would burst into tears at the sound of his voice. "Star, baby, please tell me it's really you," he whispered. 

Starfire was quiet for a moment, not trusting that her voice would really be hers, and all the while fighting K'trina for control. Finally, she spoke. "Oh, my love, how you must hate me," she mourned in a whisper. "Please believe me… I never meant… I do not remember killing…" Her throat clogged up at that point, she could find no reserve of energy left in her. 

And through it all she continued to fight. She was weakening. 

Robin caught her chin, forcing her to look back at him, his blue eyes vigilant on hers. "Listen to me," he whispered, brushing his lips against hers briefly to hold her attention. "I love you. No matter what, I love you. Okay? _I love you_." Starfire drew back to see into his eyes, gazing sorrowfully at him. Slowly, he caressed her face with the tips of his fingers. "You're still fighting her." It was not a question, but Starfire nodded anyway, ignoring the hair raising on the back of her neck. Robin dropped down to a whisper. "You're stronger than she is. You can beat her." He kissed her again. "I'm here for you; I know you can do it," he murmured. 

Starfire convulsed, all the while wondering how she could explain to him the fact that maybe she did not _want _to stop her. How could convey that she did not only fight K'trina's will, but also her _words._ Her opponent was constantly whispering into her ear, reminding her of their deal, reminding her of why she had given up control in the first place. Didn't she _want_ revenge, she pressed. Had she forgotten the burn of the star's fire? Or perhaps the contrast between the cold bite of the floor and the smothering hot bodies that kept her pinned? Had she forgotten what it was like to be killed daily? Had she forgotten Galfore's body, rapidly growing cold? 

'_Yes!'_ Starfire raged internally. _'Yes, I want my revenge! No, I could never forget no matter how hard I try, but this is not the way! I __**know **__that this is not the way!'_

'_Do you? Here is your chance to prove it,'_ K'trina hissed back, menacingly. Starfire's eyes snapped wide, a sudden sense of danger vibrating through her. 

It was on instinct that Starfire turned, pushing Robin away and raising her forearm to deflect the blow that came down on her. Had she been more focused on the physical world, she would have dodged, but she did not have time. She also would have remembered that her arms were missing their usual metal arm guards. But her concentration had been so centered in her mind. 

The sword slashing into her forearm was the distraction that K'trina must have been waiting for. As Starfire grunted in pain and then yelped as she was forced out of control. The edge of the sword sliced through the swirling patterns that covered her arms and in that moment, the red tinge of rapidly heating metal spread quickly through it. Starfire hissed as the metal began to warp and the section of is still embedded in her arm peeled off, magnetized to the marks, burning her skin. 

In a moment of rage, her other hand had snatched at Lirain's throat, her strength there at her call. A few quick jabs had Lirian's shoulder dislocated, and several broken bones. She snarled as K'trina fueled her anger, flashes of Galfore alive, Galfore dying, Galfore dead. Her fingers contracted, this time of her own accord. 

"_Murderer,"_ she hissed in Tamaranian. Lirain choked on his gasp and began clawing at her hand. His attempts seemed laughably weak to her now. She bared her teeth as K'trina whispered quietly through her mouth. _"Do you see how I care for you, Starfire? I bring you our knorfka's killer on a silver platter. Retribution is in the palm of your hand, young one. __**Take it**__."_

Starfire's eyes were wide, her breathing coming in short pants. Her body was hers again, she commanded each and every muscle. And yet, she could not loosen her grip on Lirain's neck. She could not tear her eyes away. She could not stop the lust for his blood that was pounding through her veins. She could never hurt Robin, she could never hurt one of her friends or an innocent of her own choice. But Lirain was different. To kill Lirain was not murder. It was revenge, retribution. She could…

"Stop it, Starfire. Let him go." 

Robin's voice sliced through the furious haze. Starfire stopped breathing completely. She yearned for Robin, for his approval and yet, she yearned for Galfore's death to be avenged. She shook her head. "I cannot," she whispered. "He killed him…" 

Robin pressed himself against her back, his arm laying across hers and took hold of her wrist tightly. "Let go, Star. You aren't that person. That is what you said to her, your mother, isn't it? _You are not K'trina._"

Starfire jolted, his words striking something deep within her. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out K'trina's coaxing, trying to find herself again. She knew the right choice. She knew the choice that Galfore would have had her make, but damn it all she was hurting still. She was in agony, betrayed, afraid, and disgusted with herself. 

"Please, do not hate me… whatever happens, don't hate me." 

Starfire made her choice. 

She screamed. 

With a shrill wail, darkness streamed from Starfire, from her nose, leaked from her ears, from the corners of her eyes and mouth. She cried out again and again as the darkness pooled and gathered and contracted. Robin clung to her helplessly, oblivious as to how best to help her. He settled for clutching her to his chest, murmuring comforting words. It seemed like forever that the darkness streamed from her, choking her, burning through her nose and ears. Starfire coughed and gagged and wailed throughout the ordeal, until suddenly, the marks marring her body dimmed and disappeared. Starfire collapsed into Robin's arms coated with sweat, gasping. She lifted her head weakly. 

Slowly, the darkness contracted and swirled upon itself, until it was a vaguely humanoid shape, a woman formed completely of shadow. Her features were indistinguishable all except from her eyes, which glowed a menacing dark green. The woman stood slowly, her form shivering and crawling as she moved. 

"You," she growled in Starfire's voice, "Just made the biggest mistake of your life." 


	21. Chapter 20 ::Responsibility::

**A/N: **Hiya! AP exams comming up. I am actually a zombie and have died from over studying. Just thought you'd like to know.

_Last time:_

_Starfire made her choice._

_She screamed._

_With a shrill wail, darkness streamed from Starfire, from her nose, leaked from her ears, from the corners of her eyes and mouth. She cried out again and again as the darkness pooled and gathered and contracted. Robin clung to her helplessly, oblivious as to how best to help her. He settled for clutching her to his chest, murmuring comforting words. It seemed like forever that the darkness streamed from her, choking her, burning through her nose and ears. Starfire coughed and gagged and wailed throughout the ordeal, until suddenly, the marks marring her body dimmed and disappeared. Starfire collapsed into Robin's arms coated with sweat, gasping. She lifted her head weakly._

_Slowly, the darkness contracted and swirled upon itself, until it was a vaguely humanoid shape, a woman formed completely of shadow. Her features were indistinguishable all except from her eyes, which glowed a menacing dark green. The woman stood slowly, her form shivering and crawling as she moved._

_"You," she growled in Starfire's voice, "Just made the biggest mistake of your life."_

Chapter 20 :Responsibility:

Keenyara jerked suddenly away from his lips, her hands pushing him away. He made a low whining noise, one she would normally respond to, but instead, she ignored him, cocking her head to one side. He leaned forward and kissed her bottom lip lightly, hoping to coax her closer, but Keenyara pulled away, straining to hear.

"Listen," she hissed, her eyes quite wide, her body rigid with shock. Her hands clenched suddenly around his waist. "Tyh, listen!"

Tyh's brow wrinkled_. "I don't hear any—"_

The sharp, chest-constricting wail echoed suddenly clear around them, and beneath it, intertwined with it, was another, sharper, more sinister shriek. They both knew that shriek. Tyh turned his gaze back to Keenyara. After all, she knew it so much more intimately than he did. _"It sounds… defeated,"_ he whispered. Keenyara finally met his gaze. Her eyes held shock, disbelief, and buried deep, a small, but growing, respect.

"I'll be damned," she exclaimed quietly. "The Princess triumphs." The wail suddenly seemed to swell. Within an instant, Keenyara's demeanor changed, changed in a way that made Tyh tense with worry. His grip on her tightened.

"_What are you doing?"_ he asked warily. He knew the set expression on her face and had come to associate it with something stupid that she did. Keenyara looked up at him, icy blue clashing with neon gold.

"I am fulfilling my duty as Protectress," she answered simply, and to his horror, she began to fade.

_**"The fall of mortals was MINE to bring about! And you stole it from me!!"**_

"_You're insane! Your body is too weak to fight—"_

"Then I'll bypass my body. It's a loan anyway." She was fading quicker and quicker as she spoke and Tyh, shifted his grip, to her neck. She paused.

Things, customs, cultures between them were like night and day, had been since they met, but one thing that he knew, was that her people did not touch each other's necks. That she allowed him to touch her there spoke volumes about the kind of trust she felt for him. She paused at his grip, though. Habit had made her jumpy and protective when it came to her neck, no matter who it was. It always got her attention.

"_A body in this dimension cannot channel the kind of power that you need. You'll burn it out,"_ he tried to reason with her tersely. Keenyara gave him a look.

"Tyh," she said slowly, "my body is dying as we speak. There's nothing left but—"

"_The other one, your other charge, she has healing powers, right? Don't tell me there's nothing left, Keenyara. I'm not stupid! This isn't your fight any—"_

"I love you," Keenyara interrupted. "I'll come back regardless, so you'll know what happened." She rocked up on her toes to kiss him heatedly. "I love you."

And then she was gone. The black void she had shared with him was disappearing bit by bit, a stone slab here, a forgotten sword there. And then, abruptly, she was living in her own body again. She gave one violent gasp as she came back to herself, her body punishing her for her escape. Her back arched and she released a low whimper, trying to disguise it for what it was.

"Raven, what's happening to her?"

Keenyara could feel Raven's soft, cool hands on her wrists and chest. "I'm not sure. She must have been in some kind of trance. She's come out of it though." A gentle, but urgent force peeled back her eyelid. "Keenyara, can you hear me?" Raven's monotone was slow and clear and, to Keenyara's complete bafflement, slightly comforting. She wrinkled her nose and tried to swat the hand away from her face, but her arm only managed a feeble flop. The body she inhabited was weak. She needed to escape from it quickly, but elegantly. Despite her nonchalance when dealing with her lover, she really would rather not deal with the consequences of burning out the body. Not at all.

"Do you… trust me?" she slurred. There was a pause and then Raven's voice.

"Enough."

Keenyara had to smile faintly. "Good. Just remember that you said that."

Her eyes snapped open wide and shone brighter than the Titans had ever seen them. She drew her hands in, clutching them to herself. The words came to her in a flash of intuition: a sigh, a whistle, and a whoosh. She heaved a great sigh and the air seemed to gather and bunch around her before the air exploded in a whirlwind and a Keenyara's laugh, dark and sonorous, echoed throughout the chamber.

-!-

The first thing K'trina did upon exiting Starfire's body, was to kill Lirain. The deed was done with stomach-turning casualness. Her eyes never even turned to him. She had eyes only for Starfire.

Years later, when Starfire's nightmares of control, helplessness, and torture faded away, even when her visions of Galfore, the light that was extinguished from his eyes, and the irrational nightmares in which each of her friends had the same light extinguished in turn, even when those were gone, Starfire would still have nighttime horrors of Lirain's dead body. She would remember the odd and uncomfortable angle at which his head rested. She would remember his eyes, glassy and absolutely dead. She would remember how quickly the blood came, coating the floor, spreading to her shoes. But most of all, she would remember the surge of pain she felt over his death; the horror that she had come so close to doing just that herself. She would see herself, night and night again over Lirain's dead body with blood on her hands. And Keenyara's body. And Galfore's. And Robin's. And finally Lirain's again.

"We could have been great, Starfire."

K'trina's voice was quiet, nothing but a hiss against the background of _her _power, these streams of power a deep, absolute black. Starfire kept silent. Her mind, her entire body was numb with pain. The star fire that was finally back under her control longed to be free, to fulfill its nature and expand and explode. Her body was finally cracking under the strain, rebelling against the sleepless nights and skimpy dinners. Her eyes were glued to Lirain's body. Robin gathered her more securely in his arms and backed away a few steps, his eyes vigilant upon his enemy. K'trina emitted a dark snarl and her form shivered suddenly. She crouched, dimly glowing eyes slitted.

"Do you hear me?" she screamed. The words almost seemed to echo. "You were the chosen one, the Princess. All power lies within you, and we could have ruled together!" What had been previously thought of as Starfire's voice twisted and distorted with hatred until it was unrecognizable as anything that could come from Starfire. _**"The fall of mortals was MINE to bring about! And you stole it from me!!"**_

Suddenly, it seemed that millions of questions had invaded Starfire's mind, all of them spurred on by his dead body. What obsession could have fueled him to commit such crimes? Could it have been such a dark force as had gripped her? If there had been someone to grab him, and shake him, and believe in his strength, would he have come back to himself? What made her any better?

These ideas only added to her grief, made her more exhausted, buried her under more despair. Distantly, she registered cries of shock and horror. _'Raven must have found Keenyara's body,'_ she thought mournfully. A wave of misery overcame her and she closed her eyes, trying to fight it. But more than that, it made her angry. She looked up suddenly, her eyes full of fire, her desperate glare fixed on K'trina. "Why did you come here? Why did you take me? Why _my_ planet? Why Galfore?" she cried, levitating through pure force of will, out of Robin's arms. Her power still came to her, shoving Robin gently, but firmly out of the way. K'trina was her creation. She had to defeat her alone. She was too intent upon her opponent to explain this to him, though.

And as it had when she was violated, betrayed, alone, anger came to her aid, making her strong and brave. But it was a false, desperate bravery that made her reckless. Her power, intensified by the fury she turned to, coiled around her again and lit her clenched fists. "I was happy before this, before you! You were behind it all!" she screamed.

K'trina's power too increased and flowed out from her body toward Starfire as the two circled, pushing a bewildered and worried Robin to the side. "Yes," K'trina hissed. "I was the one from the beginning. Not me personally, mind, but a part of me has been there since the beginning, before you were even thought of." K'trina's form shivered suddenly, violently. "You are a stupid, naïve, vain girl!" she spat. "This was never about your planet, your happiness. It has nothing to do with you. You are merely at tool, a weapon, as you have been since your fourth birthday."

As if her words were some kind of trigger, memories of the past Lirain has shown her flooded her consciousness. Starfire's jaw clenched as she fought against the pain, calling up more anger to fight it. K'trina sneered. "Oh, you know now, no? Looking back, do you feel stupid? Do you feel dense, thinking that you and your sister and your brother were loved equally by your fool parents, when really there was not even affection for a single one of you? Kormand'r to rule, Ryand'r at her side, and there, kneeling at their feet, poised to do their bidding was little Koriand'r, little more than the living gun they pointed in the right direction and set loose. The mindless killing machine. Are you proud that you are living up to their plan? Are you proud that your are your mother's dau—"

"I am _not_! I am_ not __**you**_!" Starfire interjected, springing forward, her power trailing behind her and whipping forward in the last moment. K'trina sneered and merely lifted her hand, bidding her own darkness to lick forward to easily fend off Starfire's bright streamers. She too lifted from the ground, weaving snake-like between Starfire's defenses until she had reached her. Starfire was too slow, had expended too much power. K'trina's pitch black hands were like icy claws as she grabbed her opponent by her shoulders, slamming them both to the ground. The ground cratered around the two of them with the force of the impact, a spider web of cracks emanating from Starfire's sluggish body. But the assault did not even pause. K'trina did not hit her with her fist, she was above that, but the blows from the ebony tentacles were brutal, like being slammed with blocks of ice.

"You are correct," K'trina hissed, a tentacle of power snaking its way around Starfire's neck. "You are less than I am, than I could ever be. But I could have made you great, Starfire. With my help, you could have been somebody. Now, I have to kill you and waste all of that glorious power."

Starfire met her gaze steadily through her swelling and bloodied face, without fear, all the while fighting the tightening grip. "I am not afraid to die," she declared. "It is what I deserve."

K'trina smiled at her, a small, cruel sneer. "Good," she sneered and reared her hand back, her fingers razor sharp claws, ready to finish her last assignment.

The light extinguished from Starfire's eyes and for a moment fear broke through. Fear and shame. Fear and despair and shame. She gazed into the forest of black (for the darkness seemed to have overcome the blazing emerald) so that she was reminded of a night sky, one void of stars and moons. She was reminded of the extreme darkness on her mother's ship, as she buried her face in Kormand'r's lap and cried herself to sleep. She was reminded of the Gordanian's dank, dirty cells where she cringed behind the back of only companion, eyes narrow. She was paralyzed, eyes wide in fear and unbidden, buried memories. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear the weight of her guilt, her power, her responsibility, her remorse, her rage, her life. She waited in turmoil for the end of it all.

Suddenly though, the air exploded in a whirlwind and a Keenyara's laugh, dark and sonorous, echoed throughout the chamber.

-!-

Keenyara had to laugh, had to scream her joy aloud in that crypt that had hosted so much death. Because for the first time since being thrust into this foreign world, she was in her true place, in her true form. She resisted the urge to be distracted by this and billowed out in waves and currents from her body, carefully calling more of her power into being. She could see (with more than just eyes) her opponent, hovering over them all, her own kind of self looming overhead. She snorted inwardly at the look of K'trina and slid through her element, swirling around the enemy and her captive.

"_Well, fuck!"_ The whisper of her words carried easily from seemingly in the air. _"Is this what you've been stooping to? Terrorizing children? Being cast out every other day? Was I such a blow to your ego?"_ With a mocking cackle, Keenyara's shimmering outline materialized, sneer in place, directly behind K'trina. Her winds whistled fiercely, and miraculously, dispersed K'trina's darkness, exposing them all. The difference between the two of them was staggering and yet, they held similarities. They were tall, statuesque with long flowing hair, Keenyara's being freed of its plait. Each glared icily at the other. Both had postures to suggest superiority. Both radiated hostility. But in the end, Keenyara was outlined in light, K'trina in darkness.

K'trina whirled around, a snarl ripping through her. Starfire's eyes widened and she summoned a starbolt, breaking K'trina's grip while she was distracted. But she had nothing left to fight with. Barely, she controlled her fall to the ground where the Titan's converged around her, their stances protective. K'trina's voice distorted again. _**"You!"**_ she shrieked. **"The great Murderer of Keikan, back again to interfere. Shall I kill you now?" **

Keenyara's laughter, if possible even crueler and colder than usual, rang around them and for the first time, it sent a shiver down the Titan's spines. Her scornful crow held deeper notes of power and danger and darkness. The thing they had perceived as a shimmer now was almost a sputter in the light that framed her. Briefly, Kilaani thought hard about what Keenyara had told her in a fit of openness. The fact that she was not evil had been enough for Kilaani, but perhaps the fact that she was not exactly good was a problem to consider.

"_I wouldn't waste my time! You can barely hold your form together!"_ she hissed maliciously. _"Why don't you just… __disappear__?"_ Keenyara sniffed. She thrust her arm forward, and a whirlwind suddenly gathered around the two of them, flashes of darkness obscuring the pair, now rapidly sparring.

Starfire collapsed as soon as she hit the ground, her hands going around her lower stomach. A peculiar and excruciating burning sensation had begun there, deep in her stomach. She gritted her teeth against it, wondering faintly why everything seemed to being going all wrong lately. _"Retract that god-damned, mother-fucking power! Will you never learn?"_ Keenyara snarled in her ear. Starfire jumped, but did not argue and instead called out silently, beckoning her power to rejoin her at last. The burning dimmed. She shuddered and continued. The star fire was coating her skin now, turning her into a creature of light. There was too much of it. Keenyara's voice was louder now, speaking to Raven.

"_Get out of here, all right? Take my body and for the sake of __**whatever**__ you may hold dear, __**don't**__ let it die. It will reverse everything. Get out of here and out of range of the palace. I can finish this." _

Raven had already formed the portal, levitating an unconscious Beastboy and Galfore's body through. Keenyara's body was next. She looked up sharply at Keenyara's words, alarmed.

"You're crazy!" Robin answered fiercely and Keenyara smiled. "We won't leave you here alone!"

"_That might be a problem if I had a __**body**__," _Keenyara snapped. _"Just do me a favor and trust me on this! I happen to be a bit more informed than—"_

With a screech, K'trina burst past Keenyara, sliding through her shield of wind haltingly, more than half of her essence disappearing in the process. But she was quicker for it. **"If not her mind, then I will have her memories, her nightmares," **she screeched, hurtling toward Starfire's bowed form.

And again, in a series of lightening fast movements, Starfire's life took another turn.

Robin lunged, throwing himself in front of Starfire, shielding her with his body, willing to do anything to save her. He would take the punishment for her sins.

Something inside of Starfire snapped at that moment. She had always been hiding from the darkness, dependant upon others. She had always depended on Robin to support her. She had always needed her friends to guide her and love her. On Tamaran, she had needed Galfore to make her sane, make her whole. But what had that dependence gotten her? Galfore was dead. Her friends were in danger. Robin was in danger. K'trina was approaching too fast. It was impossible.

But Starfire had been achieving the extraordinary lately.

Starfire's resolve hardened and she gripped Robin tightly. They disappeared.

And reappeared, positions reversed. Starfire held Robin by the front of his shirt, her mouth molded firmly against his. She emitted the tiniest of squeaks as a set of ebony fangs were embedded into her, just were her neck met her shoulder. Her eyes were wide and wild and knowing all at the same time and her hands clutched at Robin. Robin gasped and grasped her by the shoulders, feeling tears against his cheeks, unknowing as to whose it was, his or hers. "I love you," she mumbled, in a pained voice against his lips.

Then, she shoved, with every ounce of her alien strength still left to her, she shoved. At the same time one of the last of the emerald streamers whipped out, shoving the rest of the Titans through the portal. Robin collided with Raven, and both of them fell through the portal. Starfire smiled serenely at Robin as he fell away, mouthing her final goodbye.

"_Forgive me"_

And with K'trina still at her neck and her friends out of harm's way, Starfire let go of the power, and let it all explode.

-!-

'_I made a mistake.'_

_There was a pause in the darkness. And then,_

'_Only you can be truly sure of that.'_

_Starfire bit her lip, staring at the decimated room. The marble floors had survived, at least. She was glad. She really loved the way the green mixed with the blue. 'I am. I was too hurt to know that, before. But I would never had chosen that way if I had know…__**he**__ would never have wanted that for me.'_

_The other Starfire tilted her head. ''He'? Who? Robin or Galfore?'_

_Starfire flinched. Galfore's memory hurt her. 'Galfore,' she mumbled. 'Though Robin would not be have been proud of me either.' _

_There was a long silence between the two of them then. Final, the clone Starfire said, 'So, what is your choice, now that you have thrown off the other side and are officially free. You could go back to that side, you know.' _

_The true Starfire met the other's eyes with a dark intensity. 'No. That is not who I am. I am not K'trina. I am Koriand'r. She cannot change who I am. I choose this side. I choose your side.' _

_The declaration was not met with a large bang or an explosion of lights and sparkles. Starfire thought she saw the marble floors lighten slightly. There was no major improvement. It could have been a trick of her mind. The other Starfire spoke again as the room began to dim once more. _

'_You realize, of course, that you have a long recovery ahead of you. You will not be whole for some time.'_

'_I know,' Starfire whispered. 'But… I will not… I will not be alone.' _


	22. Chapter 21 ::The Backlash::

;-)

* * *

Chapter 21 :The Backlash:

"_Eemok, twarl'ron. Ruth'sa._

_People of Earth, please do not be alarmed. This transmission is being sent to most, if not all, of the major frequencies known to the planet of Tamaran. My name is Empress Kormand'r of Tamaran and as Grand Ruler of Tamaran, it is my right and duty to send this transmission to the leaders of Earth. _

_Starfire of Earth, your crimes of abandoning the principles and lessons of Tamaran, of swearing allegiance to an institution other than the Tamaranian Empire, of becoming unfit to rule, of placing a pretender on the throne, of stealing a Tamaranian Craft, of destruction of the royal palace, all carry sentences of death. We do, however recognize your invaluable courage and skill in negotiating the freedom of our planet. Therefore, you have been stripped of all titles and are henceforth sentenced to never again enter the atmosphere or surrounding space of the Tamaranian Empire. If you violate this sentencing, you will be pursued with deadly force. We recognize that you will be making a new home on Earth. As policy dictates, we are obligated to inform your new home of your status as stripped of your title and banished from your home planet. _

_Live well, sister."_

-!-

The meaning of time changed for Starfire.

She was alive, at least in the sense that she breathed in and out. Sometimes she was not sure whether she was grateful or resentful of this. When Robin sat close to her late at night and kept her company when she could not bear to dream anymore, she felt eternally thankful. But then, when she finally succumbed to her body's needs and was gripped by yet another nighttime horror and awoke sobbing, she wished, bitterly, that K'trina had just done as she had promised.

Though she was sure she would rather be dead than to be back under K'trina's influence.

She had begun to hate dreams. She no longer had the slow leisurely dreams that she loved nor did she have the strange, quirky dreams that she and Robin used to laugh and recount to each other. When she closed her eyes she only saw Galfore. When she slipped away, she heard her cries and felt K'trina again at her neck. She had seen horrible things as the palace had collapsed around her, felt the despair of a thousand others. It seemed to her as if it were all stored inside of her head, waiting to replay itself in her dreams and it had to begin at the beginning every single time.

She was different. She had lost weight in the four weeks since leaving Tamaran. She was afraid to sleep. Her fear made her nauseous. When her friends and teammates did convince her to eat, the food only stayed down half of the time. She had new scars. The metal from Lirain's sword had cooled into her arm in all of the commotion. The metal was actually a part of her vein and artery walls in some places. It could never be removed. She kept it tightly bandaged. She didn't like to look at it.

Keenyara was alive too. But barely. She had lost so much blood in the battle and though her body had healed quickly, her mind was still missing. She had been asleep since the battle. Starfire never stopped blaming herself. Raven had told her something about her body being "burned out" and that she would awaken when her spirit healed, but it had been too little too late to ease her guilt.

For a time, though, it seemed like she was getting better. She began to talk, to venture out of her room, to smile (though her smile was often forced and rarely met her eyes). But then the transmission from Tamaran came. And it suddenly seemed that the entire world knew her shame. Most of it did.

Reporters swarmed her whenever she left the tower. So she stopped leaving. There was always someone on the television, judging her about something they knew nothing about. She wouldn't watch it with them anymore. Some civilians actually petitioned the city that she should not be allowed to protect them, or at least to reveal what exactly she had done. Robin had silenced these protests immediately and efficiently. But she still heard them. They still tore at her already shredded heart. She stopped going on missions.

And so her days began to take on a numbing kind of routine. She would wake from whatever nightmare it was that night, and then watch her clock or whichever of her friends was in her room that night as they slept. They told her that they did not want her to be alone, not while she was hurting like she was. She heard Cyborg refer to it as a 'suicide watch' one night as she pretended to sleep. Normally, it was Robin who stayed. When they awoke, they would try to get her to eat and sometimes she did. Sometimes she even kept the food down. Then, she would spend the rest of the day sitting next to Keenyara. For some reason, Starfire began to feel that Keenyara _had _to wake up. That Keenyara's awakening was the last piece that she needed before she could really begin to heal herself.

But it was four weeks before Keenyara woke up.

And she was so far gone by then.

-!-

"_The stupid body is finally healed." _

Tyh glanced down at her, one eyebrow arched. He somehow managed to make his expression look elegant, while Keenyara knew that when she did that, she just looked like a bitch. _"You're the one who burned it out,"_ he answered in a tone that told her that he had no sympathy for her. _"You were showing off." _Keenyara rolled her eyes.

She had lost count of the days and nights she had spent trapped inside her own head. All she knew for sure was that she did not like being without a body and would not be so quick to force so much power out through her physical self, given the chance. And she knew that Tyh must have loved her as much as she loved him because he came back whenever he could, just to keep her company. She took his hand and pressed it against her cheek, reveling in its warmth.

"_I don't show off. I don't need to. It's all inherently apparent,"_ she answered loftily. _"Anyway, I was trying to fulfill my duty. Who would have known that those jackasses would have given me something so fragile? They know my track record, after all." _

Suddenly, something changed in the void-like haven they had created together. There was a new kind of power other than just their elemental energy that bounced back and forth. Keenyara recognized it instantly and her jaw clenched. _'Perfect,'_ she growled internally, a strange feeling when she was inside her mind. _'This is just what I need.'_

"_That," _began the newcomer,_ "was the sturdiest body we could construct, spiritually. You, Keenyara, were just reckless with it. What you did was stupid." _

Keenyara forced an icy smile and draped her arms around Tyh's shoulders. She refused to look at this intruder into her mind. _"Tyh, my love?_ _Would you tell our dear Archangel that he can kiss my sturdy, spiritual ass?"_ she asked sweetly. Tyh, of course, only smiled cheekily and wrapped his arms around her in return.

"_Ah, she's not quite thrilled to see you there, Michael,"_ he laughed over her shoulder. There was a sigh and Keenyara finally glanced behind her. Michael was glaring stonily at her, his too-long ebony hair swaying, though there was no wind blowing. Thus was one of the perks, it seemed, of being an angel. Your hair moved on its own. Good for appearing majestically to mortals. His huge wings were folded in against his back at the moment and his lavender eyes flashed.

"_What? Did I hurt your feeling?"_ Keenyara snapped. She was still angry over Raven and Starfire's unswerving control over her and was sure that this was just the angel that had dreamed it up.

"_You get more and more like your mother every day,"_ Michael he told her calmly, knowing he had gotten to her. Keenyara bristled.

"_My mother is a bitch!"_ she growled and Michael fixed her with a withering glare.

"_Case in point,"_ he snipped in return. _"Now quit interrupting me. Tyh, control your mate!"_ To her chagrin, Tyh was shaking in silent laughter.

"_Let him talk, Bai,"_ he snickered, nuzzling into her neck. _"He might end up saying something you like for once." _Keenyara growled, but kept her thoughts to herself. Silence reigned momentarily before Michael began to speak again.

"_As I was saying, what you did was stupid, but it ultimately saved the Champion—"_

"_Starfire,"_ Keenyara interjected smugly. Michael glared again.

"_We do not leave debts unpaid. You are to be rewarded for what you have done."_

Keenyara blinked. She had not expected _that_. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. _"Say again?"_ Michael's face was screwed up in distaste, obviously unhappy with his message.

"_Reward,"_ he said again, enunciating clearly. _"You may have anything you want, save the release from your duties. That alone cannot be reversed. I'll ask you to be quick in your decision. I have more important things to do and you have your duties now that your mistakes have finally been fixed." _

Keenyara almost rose to that bait, but the allure of having anything she could imagine at her fingertips was a little bit more important to her. She began to play with Tyh's fingers as she thought. And then the answer was all too apparent.

"_I want Tyh." _

Tyh gave her a confused look. _"You already have me, Bai,"_ he told her. Keenyara rolled her eyes.

"_I'm aware,"_ she snapped, though without any of the venom she had used when speaking to Michael_. "I meant, you know, physically. Come stay with me. Come visit me. Something! That's what I want."_ She stood very still as she finished, staring at Michael, daring him to deny her request. He sneered delicately.

"_Touching. It is done."_ He fixed Tyh with a piercing stare, one that Tyh returned casually. _"Tyh will know what to do." _Tyh smirked in return.

"_You two are so needlessly dramatic,"_ he laughed. Keenyara pinched his arm.

"_You could be a little bit more on my—"_ Tyh ducked down and kissed her, effectively cutting off her complaints. Michael's presence was abruptly gone, leaving the two of them alone. Keenyara cursed his being just one more time before falling for Tyh's charms. When he finally released her, the pair of them were breathing heavily.

"_That's really sexy, you know,"_ Tyh breathed, still kissing under her jaw. Keenyara pouted. She needed to go… but then, a few more minutes would not kill anyone…

"_What is?"_ she asked, falling more heavily into him. She felt him smile against her neck before he pulled back, settling for hugging her tightly.

"_You could have had anything in the world, anything in the universe, Keenyara. It's __**really**__ sexy that you chose me." _Keenyara smiled and reached up to comb her fingers through his hair. He released her then and stepped back, though his hands were still resting on her hips. _"I know you have to go. I'll miss this. It was nice." _Keenyara smiled. She would miss it too, though she would never admit it. But that was one of the things she loved about him. He knew she would never say it and he didn't care.

"_We'll do it again sometime,"_ she answered. _"Hopefully in person…" _She began to fade again and this time, he did too. There was no need for elaborate, drawn out goodbyes. She knew he would come if she called and she knew she would do the same for him. Really, it was only ever a matter of time. _"I love you_," she whispered as she slipped away.

"_Of course you do."_

She grinned as she let go of him completely, finally allowing herself to fall into her body. She was surprised at the unfamiliarity of the gesture, though she supposed she really should have expected it. Her body had lain completely still without her and in her mind she was uninhibited. The stiffness in her joints combined with her being accustomed now to being totally free to make a truly panicking moment, but the fear was gone just as soon as it came and followed by a wave of happiness. Her body was truly hers again.

She went slowly at first, taking control of her breathing, increasing the pace just a touch. She tried her hands then, flexing her fingers delicately and then making a weak fist. It took a few tries, but she could still do it. It hurt though. She would have to think _really_ hard before she tried to pull that particular stunt again, no matter who's life was on the line. She was even more hesitant as she tested her powers, opting to simply _be_ in the wind, sensing it as it moved naturally. Her senses told her that she was in a room that she had never seen before, but then, she did not presume to know even her own room in Titan's Tower very well.

Her eyes took a little bit of concentration, as comfortable as her body had become with sleep. Finally, though, she managed to blink them open, squinting against the bright shaft of light that streamed in through the window adjacent to her bed and sliced directly into her weak eyes.

"…Fuck…" she murmured, though the curse came out more like a groan. She chuckled weakly at the pure sound of her own voice. It was absolute heaven to actually be hearing again.

Someone in the room inhaled sharply and Keenyara pondered the sense of déjà vu she was suddenly swept up in. She turned her head minutely to see Starfire staring at her as if she were a ghost. The girl looked a lot skinnier than she remembered.

"Are you gonna sit on your ass and stare or do you think you can dim it down in here?" she demanded. The power was starting to come back into her voice, luckily, and the air swayed slightly with her annoyance. The corners of her lips curled upward slightly. _'I think I'm back,'_ she gloated.

Starfire just stared. For a moment, she rose from her chair slowly and Keenyara thought that she would head toward the window, but then she had tripped unsteadily to her bedside, plopping down next to her, her hand going to Keenyara's face.

Keenyara caught her wrist before she made it, wincing. "Wha—"

"I thought I had killed you."

The declaration had been so soft, barely even a whisper. If she had not have been what she was, wind elemental, Keenyara doubted she would have heard it. And had she not been what she was, her eyes may have softened, she may have offered a smile to Starfire's obvious distress.

It was not in her nature, however.

Keenyara scowled. "You almost did," she answered darkly, pushing her wrist away. "You were _too_ damn close to screwing up _everything_, Princess. And _don't _give me that look, all right? We all took our turn against the darkness. You're lucky you came out of it with your soul in one piece!"

Starfire almost seemed to cave in on herself as Keenyara spoke and withdrew from her as each accusation slammed her in the chest like a sledgehammer. Her mind screamed at her to run, to get away from the pain, but her heart kept her still. She had heard it in her mind for four weeks, from the very moment she made her choice, the wrong one. She wrapped her arms around herself, waiting for the next tear at her heart. It did not come. Instead, Keenyara remain very still, _looking_ at her with the strangest of expressions.

"Well?" she prodded, miserably. Keenyara's eyebrow arched questioningly. "That cannot be all you have to say on the matter. I… I twisted your arm until it dislocated! I picked you up and threw you into a wall and… and your wrist has not even healed all of the way yet! Even after we had escaped, you still came so close to death… there was so much blood… I did that! I did all of it! _I did!_" she whimpered. "No one else… the others do not want to say it, they will not blame me for this. But I did not hurt them the way I hurt you! You alone know how weak I was in resisting her. So please, yell at me. Scream and rage and tell me how useless and worthless and repulsive I am! You are the only one that will." She was aware that she had not spoken so much at one time since the battle. Her throat hurt because of it.

Keenyara blinked. "Do you regret, then? Is it _hurting_ you on the inside, the fact that you almost took a life with your hands, regardless of who was in control at the time?" Starfire gaped at her, her eyes filling with tears.

"_Yes!_ How—"

"Shut up and listen, then, Starfire, because I'm not going to repeat myself," Keenyara growled in a rush and Starfire's mouth clamped shut. The tears in her eyes began to spill over her squeezed shut eyes as she prepared herself for the worst. "Look at me," she snapped. Slowly, Starfire's eyes opened and for a moment, Keenyara was touched by the raw agony she saw there. But she steeled herself and her frown deepened. This was not going to be fun…

"I'm pretty damn impressed with you," she told her quietly, her voice nothing but a soft murmur. Starfire froze, her mind rejecting a statement so illogical. But there was no trace of sarcasm, of malice. Keenyara's eyes burned intensely, but they did not hate her. Starfire blinked.

"What… what?"

Keenyara frowned and grunted as she shoved herself up into a sitting position. Her strength was coming back to her, now, and she would need it if she really was going to go the route she wanted. On the up side, the sun was out of her eyes as she watched Starfire quietly, taking her in rationally for the first time. Now that she was awake, she was seeing things that she did not like. The slump in Starfire's shoulders and the mournful note in her voice. The shadow deep within her eyes that was so damned familiar to her. But then, that was the part that gave Keenyara such pause. It was no more than a shadow, a shade that Starfire easily outshone, or at least, she would, if she had the proper tools and information. Keenyara had been left virtually alone with no one who understood. She may not have been kind and at times she was even cruel. She would not leave Starfire in the dark the way she way, though, if only to claim that she had been more compassionate than the others before her.

"I used to be like you," she said, mostly to herself. "I used to feel disgusting; that I was weak for believing in something so horrible and wrong. _I_ used to feel so wrong and so _pissed off_ that no one understood how wrong I really was and tried to keep me around anyway." Keenyara reached up, finding that she had been dressed in a generic, paper-thin hospital gown that buttoned down the front. She lifted a hand to play with the neckline of the gown, contemplating just how open she could be.

"When I came to this world, to this universe, to this set of being, there were choices I made without even choosing them. I was given a new body, one that had been wiped clean of my old scars and my old limitations." Her fingers grazed lightly, unintentionally, over her wrists and knuckles and one across her temples. "But there are some scars that I would never just wish away." Gently, almost reverently, Keenyara pushed down the shoulder of the gown. A twisting, intricate pattern was there, seemingly burned into her chest, almost directly over her heart. Again with untold gentleness, Keenyara traced the pattern without looking at it, though her finger did not make a mistake. Her eyes, despite her motions, were hard and tense, almost angry.

Starfire's eyes were wide and unblinking, shocked. As if in a trance, her hand went to her right forearm, unwrapping the bandages there. She had first seen the mark, scar, brand (The Titans all had their own way of referring to it, all when they thought that Starfire was not within hearing range) the day after returning to the tower. To the rest of them, it was nothing. It was a simple, random pattern that twisted and wound halfway down her arm. But to her it was a message.

It matched Keenyara's, though hers was larger.

"How… did we… did you…?" Keenyara raised an eyebrow, reaching up to massage her temples wearily.

"I got mine the same way you got yours, Princess, and we are the only two in two universes with them. They called on me to save my world. The darkness stood against me just like you. And I gave in to it. Like you did." Starfire lowered her head, her cheeks heating up. Keenyara leaned forward, suddenly intense though. "Stop it," she snapped. "This is important. Pay attention. Starfire, before me, thousands— millions had given in to the darkness. _None_ had ever come back from it, understand? I was the first and the only one to find my way back to myself. And even then, even _now_ the darkness is still here. It claims half of me while the other side claims the other half. I can balance it, control it, contain it, but for the rest of my existence I will never be free of it.

"I was exceptional for that victory. My will is legendary now because of it. That's why when I saw that you had made the _stupidest_ mistakes anyone can ever make," she paused to glare, "I gave up. I didn't fight back. I let you win, hoping that you would take whatever revenge you needed for me failing and then you would kill this dumb body so that I could get on with the rest of my life. I thought you were too weak to ever come close to what I did. I was… wrong." It was as close as she dared go to an apology. "I'm impressed, Starfire, because you did what I did and then surpassed it. You forced the darkness out and went back and claimed your body— _all_ of your body. Your soul is _yours_ and will be whole again in weeks, months at the most. Mine took years and will never really be my own again. You did something great, Starfire. You did something that no one before or after you has ever done or will ever do." For a moment, she the intensity faltered and her trademark arrogance was there again. "You did something that even _I_ couldn't do."

For a long time they sat in silence, Keenyara waiting for Starfire to react and Starfire waiting for herself to understand. "Does… that mean that you are _forgiving_ me?" she managed finally. Keenyara folded her arms and arched an eyebrow again.

"That means that I know that you wouldn't have come close to doing that much damage if I had actually fought back. So really it's my fault," she answered. _'Damn, I'm good at lying!'_ gloated internally.

Starfire chewed her bottom lip, deep in thought. "You should not…" she began hesitantly, wrapping her arms around herself. "K'trina went after Robin and I protected him the only way I knew how. I did not do anything worthy of praise." This time, the corners of Keenyara's mouth twitched upward in the barest hint of a smile.

"_And though my love doth outshine that darkness, it hath turned my love to the blackest of hate and in that suffocating dark I am lost and cannot find the way back. Love me, love me, love me though I hate and perhaps you would be the warm candlelight in the distance, that I might claw my way out of the chill only to come back to you."_ Starfire gaped at her and Keenyara smirked in earnest. "My… hmm, what would I call it… let's go with mate. My mate wrote that for me a while after my choice. He's a dork, so it's extremely cheesy. The point is that _I_ did something worthy of praise, and I did it for the same reasons you did. Stop making it smaller than it was. What I did was amazing and therefore, by default, so was what you did."

Again, Starfire was shocked into silence. "Mate?!" she blurted before she could stop herself. "As in 'husband'?" Keenyara just shrugged.

"It's a lot more complicated and a lot simpler at the same time."

Starfire struggled to imagine Keenyara in love. It was not hard for her to envision this woman forcing her way out of bondage on pure will alone, but because of a man? It seemed utterly unlikely. But she quickly managed to close her mouth, remembering her manners (Manners? How long had it been since any of that mattered?).

"It still hurts…" she whispered finally. "If I did such a wonderful thing—? Please, just tell me how to stop the pain," she whimpered.

Keenyara stilled and slowly her gaze drained of hostility and anger and defensiveness. She glanced briefly, understandingly, at a girl in whom she saw herself, as if the scars that had been wiped from her body had been reborn inside of Starfire.

"I'd say that it was the truth, the 'why', that got me through it. But that just pissed me off. You know how that gets me off of my ass though," she murmured mostly to himself. She seemed wistful, almost longing. "Go find Robin, Starfire. The pain won't stop," Keenyara's frown grew more pronounced, "not yet. But it will ease. And Robin will be the one to hold it at bay. Go find Robin."

Starfire bit her lip, still hesitating. "What if—"

Keenyara raised a hand, slumping back down into the bed. "Shut up," she interrupted matter-of-factly. "You do a lot of whining. He forgave you already." Starfire looked startled, but Keenyara just smiled knowingly. "Now get out. I need a damn shower. We'll talk again… we'll do a lot of talking about this. But get out for now."

'_I __**am**__ back,'_ she crowed internally, noting smugly when Starfire managed a thin, nostalgic smile. To her surprise, Starfire surged toward her, locking her in a crushing hug. She spluttered in a very unattractive way.

"I am so glad you survived, Keenyara. I am happy that you have forgiven me. I am happy that you are here to be my…" her forehead wrinkled slightly "my protector. The job suits you."

Keenyara was taken off guard. She was not one who normally got compliments. Or was used to physical affection (not exactly counting her mate). She shoved Starfire away again. "Touchy brat," she grumbled. "_Bye_," she enunciated, looking pointedly toward the door. There were things she wanted to say so badly, but she couldn't. There were things that Starfire would never believe and that she needed to remain ignorant of in order to serve her purpose.

That the pain would fade slowly, eventually. That her soul would heal. The Champion's power would lie in wait. The war would continue.

The final battle would come.

'_Eventually. The battle always comes eventually,'_ she thought darkly and the air shifted agitatedly around her.

'_You're ready though, Princess.'_

Noooo! It's almost over!! Epilouge on the way though. And hopefully it won't take too long. Then, you can look forward to a sequel. One that (I think) will have Keenyara as more of a central character (not _that_ central though...) So review with what you think about that (the Keenyara part).

Also, Twilight fans can check out my twilight fic! (BREAKING DAWN! WHOO!!)

Thanks all!

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